LMP1-EBV Gene Deletion Mutations and HLA Genotypes of Nasopharyngeal Cancer Patients in Vietnam

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is the most common cancer among head and neck cancers in Vietnam. We aimed to identify the rate of a 30 bp deletion mutation of the LMP1-EBV gene in nasopharyngeal biopsy tissue samples, the HLA genotypes of NPC patients, and the relationship between these two targets. Patients with NPC at Can Tho Oncology Hospital from September 2014 to December 2018 were selected. A length of 30 bp of the del-LMP1-EBV gene was analyzed using a PCR technique, and the HLA genotypes in patients’ blood samples were analyzed with PCR-SSO technology. HLA-B*15 gene carriers had the highest risk of 30 bp LMP1-EBV gene deletion mutation, which was found in 51 out of 70 patients (72.9%). Carriers of the HLA-B*15 allele had a 4.6-fold increased risk of a 30 bp del-LMP1-EBV gene compared with non-carriers of this allele. The initial identification of NPC was related to the 30 bp del-LMP1-EBV gene and high frequencies of the -A*02, -B*15, -DRB1*12, -DQB1*03, and -DQA1*01 HLA alleles. Our study results suggest an association of the 30 bp del-LMP1-EBV gene and the HLA-B*15 allele with NPC susceptibility.