Status of Epstein-Barr Virus Coinfection withHelicobacter pyloriin Gastric Cancer

Abstract

Epstein-Barr virus is a ubiquitous human herpesvirus whose primary infection causes mononucleosis, Burkett’s lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, autoimmune diseases, and gastric cancer (GC). The persistent infection causes malignancies in lymph and epithelial cells.Helicobacter pyloricauses gastritis in human with chronic inflammation. This chronic inflammation is thought to be the cause of genomic instability. About 45%-word population have a probability of having both pathogens, namely,H. pyloriand EBV. Approximately 180 per hundred thousand population is developing GC along with many gastric abnormalities. This makes GC the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Although lots of research are carried out individually for EBV andH. pylori, still there are very few reports available on coinfection of both pathogens. Recent studies suggested that EBV andH. pyloricoinfection increases the occurrence of GC as well as the early age of GC detection comparing to individual infection. The aim of this review is to present status on coinfection of both pathogens and their association with GC.