Molecular-based Implication of Epstein–Barr virus in gliomatous tissues from a group of Iraqi patients: A PCR study

Saif Anmar Badran; Maryam S Ibrahim; Ammar Jusmani; Shakir H. Mohammed Al-Alwany; Aliaa Salman Mahdy; Israa Mahdi Al-Sudani; Saad Hasan Mohammed Ali

Saif Anmar Badran Department of Surgery, Ibn Sina University of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Iraq, Baghdad
Maryam S Ibrahim Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Al-Mustansiriyah University, Iraq, Baghdad
Ammar Jusmani Department of Surgery, Ibn Sina University of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Iraq, Baghdad
Shakir H. Mohammed Al-Alwany College of Science, University of Babylon, Iraq
Aliaa Salman Mahdy Department of Microbiology, College of Hamburabi Medicine, Babylon University
Israa Mahdi Al-Sudani Department of Surgery, Ibn Sina University of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Iraq, Baghdad
Saad Hasan Mohammed Ali Department of Microbiology, Al-Mustaqbal University, College of Dentistry, Babylon, Iraq

Keywords: EBV, Brain tumor, Glioma, Astrocytoma, Anaplastic Astrocytoma, Glioblastoma, PCR

Abstract

Background: Gliomas account for around 60% of all primary brain tumours. Gliomas' aetiology is unknown, yet neurotropic viruses, including an oncogenic Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), have been implicated recently in the pathogenesis of various brain tumours, including primary CNS lymphoma and glioma.

Objective: To analyze the rate of neurotropic EBV infection in cerebral gliomas from a group of Iraqi patients with primary gliomas.

Patients and methods: This prospective study was conducted on 65 brain tissues, 40 of them from gliomas, while the rest 25 brain tissues showed unremarkable pathological changes (and used as an apparently healthy control group). The Polymerase chain reaction was done for detecting EBV- DNA sequence, and the main clinicopathological features were recorded.

Results: 32% (8 out of 25) of the examined brain tissues were positive for EBV genome detection. The most infected brain tumour tissues with EBV- DNA is related to the age stratum (41-60 years), which accounted for 7.5 percent, while the age strata of (2- 20 years), (21-40 years), and (61-82 years) accounted for 2.5%, 5% and 5%, respectively. The brain tumour tissues with positive EBV-PCR results (and as based on the gender of patients) have revealed that the males accounted for 62.5% while females accounted for 37.5%. Positive EBV-PCR detection results from patients with various types of brain tumors were found as 20%, 8%, and 4% in glioblastoma, astrocytoma, and anaplastic astrocytoma, respectively.

Conclusion: Altogether, the apparently too high rate of EBV detection in the studied glioma samples can considered, in respective parts, in brain tumor induction. We recommend the use of advanced molecular studies to be done to confirm the currently obtained data to unravel further the importance of this viral infection in such tumors.

How to cite this article:
Badran S A, Ibrahim M S, Jusmani A, Al-Alwany S H M, Mahdy A S, Al-Sudani I M, Ali S H M. Molecular-based Implication of Epstein–Barr Virus in Gliomatous tissues from a group of Iraqi Patients: A PCR Study J Commun Dis. 2025;57(2):88-94.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/0019.5138.202542

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