Epstein–Barr Virus in Brain Cancer—Friend or Foe?

Recent research suggests a link between EBV and brain cancer, especially in high-grade gliomas, but its role has not been sufficiently elucidated. Therefore, we evaluated its occurrence in brain cancer. For this purpose, the EBV DNA and LMP-1 in tumor tissue, the level of viral load in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and the serological status of patients were analyzed. We detected EBV DNA in 28.9% (42/145) of glioma samples, among which 28 were isolated from glioblastomas (GBs) and 14 from other gliomas. LMP-1 was detected in 26 (92.8%) GB samples and 5 (35.7%) samples from other gliomas. The EBV DNA load in the CSF was significantly higher in GB compared to other gliomas; anti-EBNA1, anti-EBVCA, anti-EA, and anti-Zta antibodies were detected in the serum of GB patients; and their concentration was higher in GB patients. Further research is needed to determine whether and to what extent EBV contributes to glioma development. Elucidating the role of latent EBV genes synthesized in glioblastoma is important for understanding the role of viral infection in cancer development and progression in this hitherto poorly studied area.