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Esophageal cancer in Germany is associated with Epstein-Barr-virus but not with papillomaviruses

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Abstract.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (n=23) and adenocarcinomas (n=14) from German patients were tested for the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) and Epstein-Barr-Virus (EBV) DNA. No DNA for either genital HPV or epidermodysplasia verruciformis-associated HPV was detected in any tumor. In contrast, 35% of squamous cell carcinomas and 36% of adenocarcinomas were shown to contain EBV DNA by nested polymerase chain reaction.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Virology, University of Cologne, Fürst-Pückler Str. 56, 50935 Cologne, Germany

    S. Awerkiew & H. Pfister

  2. Department of Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany

    E. Bollschweiler, R. Metzger, P. M. Schneider & A. H. Hölscher

Authors
  1. S. Awerkiew
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  2. E. Bollschweiler
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  3. R. Metzger
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  4. P. M. Schneider
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  5. A. H. Hölscher
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  6. H. Pfister
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. Awerkiew.

Additional information

Presented in part at the Joint Meeting of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Dermatologische Infektiologie der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft and the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Oralpathologie on "Oral Viral Infection and Oral Tumors" in Rostock, Germany, 6–7 July 2001.

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Awerkiew, S., Bollschweiler, E., Metzger, R. et al. Esophageal cancer in Germany is associated with Epstein-Barr-virus but not with papillomaviruses. Med Microbiol Immunol 192, 137–140 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00430-002-0128-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00430-002-0128-z

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