Viral Infection in Glioblastoma: Immunohistochemistry in Detection of Cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr and Herpes Simplex – 1 Virus

Abstract

Introduction: Glioblastoma (GB) is the most aggressive glial tumor of the brain with a dismal prognosis. Studies conducted during the last two decades highlighted neurotropic viruses as a risk factors involved in development of glioblastoma. Authors present an immunohistological study conducted in a single center on sixty-three archive paraffin-embedded samples of GB.

Patients and methods: The tissues were tested using immunohistochemistry in a homogenous group of sixty-three glioblastoma paraffin-embedded tissues for the presence of Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1).

Results: Three species of herpes viruses were tested: HSV-1, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Cytomegalovirus using the standard automatized immunohistochemistry. According to the IRS score, there were six samples of HSV-1 regarded as IRS 2 and five IRS 1 samples of the same virus. EBV and CMV were negative.

Conclusion: The result of our study identified HSV-1 as the most prominent neurotropic virus among population surgically treated of GB. Further studies are necessary to confirm its possible oncomodulatory role.