Abstract:
Nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPC) are endemic in Far East Asia and commonly harbour Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) which is known
to serve as a key oncogenic promoter. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is known to contribute to the pathogenesis of NPC. However,
in Ghana these two viruses have not been linked to NPC prevalence. This study was designed to determine the HPV genotypes and
EBV involved in NPC tissue biopsies. A retrospective study design involving 72 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue (FFPET)
samples of NPC from 2006 to 2012 were retrieved from the Department of Pathology, University of Ghana School of Biomedical and
Allied Health Sciences. Sections were taken for histological analysis and for DNA lysate preparation. The DNA lysates were subjected
to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis to determine the presence of HPV genotypes and EBV. HPV specific primers were
used to type for fourteen HPV genotypes (HPV-16, 18, 6/11, 31, 33, 35, 44, 42, 43, 45, 56, 52, 58, and 59). Out of the 72 NPC biopsies
analyzed by PCR, EBV DNA was present in 18 (25%) cases and HPV DNA in 14 (19.23%). High risk HPV (HR-HPV) genotypes
18 and 31 were associated with the NPC. There were 3 (4.2%) cases of coinfection by both viruses. The EBV DNA present in the
undifferentiated variant of the NPC and the histopathology of the NPC in Ghana is similar to the type described in endemic areas.
