Epstein–Barr virus in the pathogenesis of oral cancers

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) is a ubiquitous gamma‐herpesvirus that establishes a lifelong persistent infection in the oral cavity and is intermittently shed in the saliva. EBV exhibits a biphasic life cycle, supported by its dual tropism for B lymphocytes and epithelial cells, which allows the virus to...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inOral diseases Vol. 24; no. 4; pp. 497 - 508
Main Authors Guidry, JT, Birdwell, CE, Scott, RS
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Denmark Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.05.2018
Subjects
carcinoma
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - virology
Epithelial cells
Epstein-Barr virus
Epstein-Barr Virus Infections - complications
Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)
Herpesvirus 4, Human - growth & development
Humans
Leukoplakia, Hairy - virology
Life Cycle Stages
Life cycles
Lymphocytes B
Lymphoid tissue
Lymphoma
Lymphoma - virology
Mouth Neoplasms - virology
Oral cancer
Oral cavity
Pathogenesis
Saliva
Salivary Gland Neoplasms - virology
Tropism
tumor
Virology
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)
carcinoma
tumor
lymphoma
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Summary:Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) is a ubiquitous gamma‐herpesvirus that establishes a lifelong persistent infection in the oral cavity and is intermittently shed in the saliva. EBV exhibits a biphasic life cycle, supported by its dual tropism for B lymphocytes and epithelial cells, which allows the virus to be transmitted within oral lymphoid tissues. While infection is often benign, EBV is associated with a number of lymphomas and carcinomas that arise in the oral cavity and at other anatomical sites. Incomplete association of EBV in cancer has questioned if EBV is merely a passenger or a driver of the tumorigenic process. However, the ability of EBV to immortalize B cells and its prevalence in a subset of cancers has implicated EBV as a carcinogenic cofactor in cellular contexts where the viral life cycle is altered. In many cases, EBV likely acts as an agent of tumor progression rather than tumor initiation, conferring malignant phenotypes observed in EBV‐positive cancers. Given that the oral cavity serves as the main site of EBV residence and transmission, here we review the prevalence of EBV in oral malignancies and the mechanisms by which EBV acts as an agent of tumor progression.
ISSN:1354-523X
1601-0825
DOI:10.1111/odi.12656