title: Association of a distinctive strain of Epstein-Barr virus with gastric cancer.
abstract: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been linked to gastric carcinoma (GC) with worldwide geographical variations attributable to types and variants of EBV. Here, we compare EBV strains between EBVaGC and healthy donors in Latin America, a high frequency area for EBVaGC. Tumor samples from 73 EBVaGC cases and throat washings from 329 healthy adults were examined for types 1 and 2 EBV and polymorphism at BamHI-F and BamHI-W1/I1 boundary regions and XhoI restriction site in LMP1 gene. Type 1 and prototype F of BamHI- F polymorphism accounted 59 (81%) and 69 (95%) of EBVaGC cases and 257 (78%) and 267 (81%) of healthy donors, respectively. Types I and "i" of BamHI W1/I1 polymorphism accounted 2 (3%) and 62 (85%) of EBVaGC and 85 (26%) and 170 (52%) of healthy donors, respectively (p<0.001). XhoI+ and - polymorphism accounted 60 (82%) and 4 (5%) of EBVaGC and 142 (43%) and 92 (28%) of healthy donors, respectively (p<0.001). Cosegregation analysis demonstrated that most of the 62 type "i" EBVaGC cases harbor XhoI+ strain (81%). However, among 143 type "i" healthy adults, both XhoI polymorphism were present in relatively similar frequencies (XhoI+ 58% and XhoI- 42%) (OR 9.0; 95% CI 1.2-69). Our findings are against to the proposed hypothesis that EBV strains are geographically but not disease-restricted. We conclude that most of the EBVaGC cases harbor a distinctive EBV strain (type "i"/XhoI +), but in healthy donors, this strain was as common as other strains. This finding is contrary to the proposed hypothesis that EBV strains are geographically but not disease-restricted and identified a healthy population group that share the same strain that predominate in EBVaGC cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Catholic University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Corvalan
authors.forename: Shan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Chihaya
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Koriyama
authors.forename: Edwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carrascal
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carrasquilla
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Backhouse
authors.forename: Luz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Urzua
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Argandoña
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Palma
authors.forename: Yoshito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Eizuru
authors.forename: Suminori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akiba
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015245:Deoxyribonuclease BamHI; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D007843:Latin America / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C037662:EBV-associated membrane antigen, Epstein-Barr virus; D014763:Viral Matrix Proteins; D015245:Deoxyribonuclease BamHI