Epstein-Barr virus in gastric cancer and association with 30 bp del-latent membrane protein 1 polymorphism

This study aimed to determine the frequencies of Epstein-Barr virus, types 1 and 2 infection, and 30 bp del-latent membrane protein 1 viral polymorphism in gastric adenocarcinomas, as well as to investigate the association between Epstein-Barr virus infection and tumor location, type, and the patient's sex.

Samples were collected from 38 patients treated at a university hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Epstein-Barr virus detection and genotyping were performed by polymerase chain reaction, followed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and staining by the silver nitrate method.

Overall, 68.4% of patients had Epstein-Barr virus-positive tumors. Of these, 65.4% presented infection by Epstein-Barr virus type 1, 23.1% by Epstein-Barr virus type 2, and 11.5% had coinfection with types 1 and 2. The 30 bp del-latent membrane protein 1 polymorphism was found in 42.3% of Epstein-Barr virus-positive tumors, 23.1% had the wild-type virus, and 23.1% had the wild-type and the polymorphism concomitantly. In 11.5% of Epstein-Barr virus-positive tumors, it was impossible to determine whether there was polymorphism or not. Tumor location in the antrum (22 of 38) and diffuse type (27 of 38) were predominant. There was no significant difference in Epstein-Barr virus infection or the 30 bp del-latent membrane protein 1 polymorphism between men and women.

Epstein-Barr virus infection was found in 68.4% of tumors investigated in this study. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first article showing the coinfection of Epstein-Barr virus types 1 and 2 in gastric carcinoma in Brazil.