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

  • Nenad Koruga Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Center Osijek, Croatia; Faculty of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Croatia
  • Tatjana Pekmezović Institute of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Serbia
  • Ilijan Tomaš Faculty of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Croatia; Department of Oncology, University Hospital Center Osijek, Croatia
  • Jasmina Rajc Faculty of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Croatia; Department of Pathology and Forensic medicine, University Hospital Center Osijek, Croatia
  • Alen Rončević Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Center Osijek, Croatia; Faculty of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Croatia
  • Anamarija Soldo Koruga Faculty of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Croatia; Department of Neurology, University Hospital Center Osijek, Croatia

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. 

Keywords: cytomegalovirus; Epstein-Barr virus; Herpes simplex virus; glioblastoma; neurotropic viruses; oncogenic viruses

Published
2025-02-13
Section
Articles