Epstein Barr Virus and Cytomegalovirus in Prostate – A Controversial Subject

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a member of the Herpes Virus family and is also known as Human Herpes Virus 4. The virus was first isolated in 1964 by the British virologists Michael Anthony Epstein and Yvonne Barr, on a cell line derived from a Burkitt lymphoma. EBV infection is especially common in young individuals with low hygiene standards and also low social and economic status. Thereby it is considered that until the third decade of life, around 80 – 100% individuals have become carriers of infection [1,2]. Although EBV is considered to be a lymphotropic B virus, it can also infect T and NK lymphocytes or some epithelial cells, as it has beenfound in T cell lymphomas, stomach, nose, andthroat carcinomas [2]. The most common host cellfor EBV is B lymphocyte, although in some cases the virus can also be detected in epithelial cells. The role of epithelial cells is likely to permit the replication and amplification of EBV persistence than that of the latent infection [3].