RESUMEN
The undifferentiated carcinoma of nasopharyngeal type (UCNT) is highly prevalent in South East Asia countries and has intermediate incidence in Tunisia, where Epstein-Barr virus constitutes one of the key factors of oncogenesis. Our preliminary results, in 3 patients with UCNT, show an elevated rate of EBV antibodies and a latent infection (type II) (expression of LMP and absence of ZEBRA by immunohistochemical reaction) and a positive staining with EBERs probe by in situ hybridation (ISH) in all cases. These results confirm a close association between EBV and tunisian UCNT. Moreover, the use of HIS technique for detection of EBERs constitutes an additional and formal argument of this association.
Asunto(s)
Carcinoma/virología , Infecciones por Virus de Epstein-Barr/complicaciones , Herpesvirus Humano 4/genética , Neoplasias Nasofaríngeas/virología , Adolescente , Adulto , Carcinoma/genética , Carcinoma/patología , Infecciones por Virus de Epstein-Barr/genética , Herpesvirus Humano 4/patogenicidad , Humanos , Hibridación in Situ , Masculino , Neoplasias Nasofaríngeas/genética , Neoplasias Nasofaríngeas/patología , TúnezRESUMEN
BACKGROUND/AIMS: We investigated the antiviral and immunomodulatory effects of a combination treatment using thymus humoral factor-gamma 2 and alpha-interferon in patients with chronic hepatitis B in whom previous monotherapy with interferon had failed. METHODS: Nine HBeAg and HBV-DNA seropositive patients received thymus humoral factor-gamma 2 alone for 2 months, thymus humoral factor-gamma 2 plus alpha-interferon for 2 months and finally alpha-interferon alone for 2 months. RESULTS: Treatment with thymus humoral factor-gamma 2 alone was not associated with any side effects. The interferon-induced lymphopenia was significantly less marked during the combined therapy in comparison to the previous course with interferon alone (mean reduction of lymphocyte counts 33.5 +/- 11.6% versus 56.3 +/- 16.7%, respectively, p < 0.05). The combination of thymus humoral factor-gamma 2 plus interferon showed a significantly more profound inhibition of serum HBV-DNA (mean reduction from the pretreatment level 90.6 +/- 13.3%) compared to the earlier monotherapy with interferon in the same patients (mean reduction 55.5 +/- 34.7%, p < 0.01). As a result of the combined thymus humoral factor-gamma 2 plus alpha-interferon regimen three out of nine patients became HBV-DNA negative and seroconverted to anti-HBe. Thymus humoral factor-gamma 2 appears to exert mainly a functional effect on T lymphocytes, as interleukin-2 production was increased in the majority of treated patients, whilst the expression of lymphocyte activation markers remained unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that thymus humoral factor-gamma 2 may be useful in a combined therapeutic approach in chronic HBV carriers.