EBER In Situ Hybridization for EpsteinBarr Virus

Epstein–Barr encoding region (EBER) in situ hybridization is the methodology of choice for the detection of the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) in tissue sections. Because of the large numbers of copies of EBERs present in latently infected cells, non-isotopic methods can be used. Positive studies show staining in the nuclei of the EBV-infected cells, accentuating the chromatin and often excluding the nucleolus. False-negative results are most often the result of RNA degradation in the tissues, a finding that may be detected through the use of a polyT probe as a control for RNA preservation.