Epstein-Barr virus-associated gastric carcinoma in Brazil: comparison between in situ hybridization and polymerase chain reaction detection

Souza

et al. 2021

Med Microbiol Immunol

EBV-associated gastric cancer accounts for about 10% of all gastric carcinomas worldwide. We aimed to verify the prevalence of EBV in gastric adenocarcinoma samples using FISH and qPCR and comparing the results obtained by both techniques. Gastric cancer samples from 191 cases were analyzed. The FISH assay was performed to detect small EBV RNAs (EBER1) and qPCR was performed to detect the EBV-EBNA-1 gene region. Cohen’s kappa index and the chi-square test were used to compare the methodologies and investigate correlations with the clinical-pathological data of the gastric adenocarcinoma patients. Most of the patients were men, and the average age was 60 years. The intestinal subtype cancer presented more aggressive stages with 90% of patients having a reactive FISH for EBV (EBV+), although the virus infection frequency in epithelial gastric tissue was only 1%. No positive association with clinicopathological features and EBV+ was found by FISH. Using qPCR analysis, the percentage of positive samples was lower (52.4%), and a positive association was found in samples from older patients (> 60 years). Interestingly, 71 qPCR-negative cases were detected by FISH in the presence of non-epithelial cells and in 10 qPCR-positive cases with no evidence of EBV according to FISH. The concordance between the two techniques was low, with only 57.6%. FISH is more informative for associating the gastric carcinoma with EBV positivity in tumor/epithelial cells; however, qPCR can provide relevant information regarding the progression and characteristics of neoplasia.

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Detection of Epstein-Barr virus in gastric adenocarcinoma: qPCR and FISH comparison

Souza

et al. 2021

Med Microbiol Immunol

“…It is also possible to explain this difference with polymorphism that could occur in viral genome sequencing [23]. The presence of the virus was verified in 36 of the 186 cases by Karpiniski et al [35].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…It has been reported that EBV is associated with 10% of gastric carcinomas and that in most cases positive EBV is diagnosed in poorly differentiated or moderately differentiated grades [23,24]. The progress of any malignancy associated with EBV requires the establishment of complex cell interactions in epithelial cells and specific viral gene expression.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Original paper Epstein-Barr virus DNA in colorectal carcinoma in Iranian patients

Tafvizi¹,

Fard²,

Assareh³

2015

pjp

Colorectal cancer is an often fatal cancer with a rapidly increasing incidence. Current mortality is estimated to be approximately 600,000 per year, and both environmental and genetic factors are involved in its etiology. Viral and bacterial factors have a proven role in the incidence of approximately 20% of cancers. In the present study, the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was detected in 50 colorectal adenocarcinomas, 12 colon adenomas, and 38 control tissue samples using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Epstein-Barr virus DNA was identified in 19 of the adenocarcinoma tissues, 1 adenoma tissue and 24 control specimens. In total, 15.8% (3/18) of the colorectal samples in the well-differentiated grade, 79% (15/30) in the moderately differentiated, and 5.2% (1/2) in the poorly differentiated grade tested positive for viral infection. Epstein-Barr virus was more prevalent in the moderately differentiated grade. Statistical analysis did not suggest a significant association between EBV and the incidence of colorectal cancer. However, it appears that the virus stimulates progression of the malignancy.

Investigating the relationship between Epstein‐Barr virus infection and gastric cancer: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Dokanei,

Minai‐Tehrani,

Moghoofei

et al. 2024

Health Science Reports

Background and AimsGastric cancer (GC) is a common cancer type worldwide, and various factors can be involved in its occurrence. One of these factors is Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) infection. In this regard, a systematic review and meta‐analysis was conducted to achieve a better understanding of the EBV prevalence in GC samples.MethodsEnglish databases were searched and studies that reported the prevalence and etiological factors of EBV related to GC from July 2007 to November 2022 were retrieved. The reported data were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The pooled prevalence of EBV infection with 95% confidence intervals was calculated. Quality assessment, heterogeneity testing, and publication bias assessment were also performed. The literature search showed 953 studies, of which 87 studies met our inclusion criteria and were used for meta‐analysis.ResultsThe pooled prevalence of EBV infection related to GC was estimated to be 9.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 8.2%−11%) in the general population. The prevalence of EBV infection related to GC by gender was 13.5% (95% CI: 11.1%−16.3%) in males and 7.6% (95% CI: 5.4%−10.6%) in females. No significant differences were observed in terms of geographical region. Out of the 87 studies included in the meta‐analysis, the most common diagnostic test was in situ hybridization (58 cases).ConclusionsAltogether, the results indicated that EBV infection is one of the important factors in the development of GC. However, this does not necessarily mean that EBV infection directly causes GC since other factors may also be involved in the development of GC. Therefore, it is recommended to conduct extensive epidemiological studies on various aspects of the relationship between this virus and GC, which can provide valuable information for understanding the relationship between EBV and GC.