Premium
Epstein‐Barr virus‐specific antibodies in Epstein‐Barr virus‐positive and ‐negative gastric carcinoma cases in Japan
Author(s) -
Shinkura R.,
Yamamoto N.,
Koriyama C.,
Shinmura Y.,
Eizuru Y.,
Tokunaga M.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-9071(200004)60:4<411::aid-jmv8>3.0.co;2-8
Subject(s) - epstein–barr virus , seroprevalence , virus , antibody , carcinoma , epstein–barr virus infection , antigen , immunology , medicine , titer , virology , pathology , serology
We examined Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV)‐specific antibodies in serum samples from 64 and 59 patients with EBV‐positive and ‐negative gastric carcinomas, respectively, and 73 healthy controls using immunofluorescence assays. EBV capsid antigen (VCA) IgG and EBV‐determined nuclear antigen (EBNA) IgG were detected in all 196 subjects. The geometric mean titer (GMT) of VCA‐IgG, but not EBNA‐IgG, was higher in EBV‐positive carcinoma cases than in EBV‐negative carcinoma cases ( P < 0.001). The seroprevalence rates of VCA‐IgA and EBV early antigen (EA) IgG were higher in EBV‐positive carcinoma cases than in EBV‐negative carcinoma cases. Odds ratios (ORs) comparing seroprevalence rates between EBV‐positive and ‐negative carcinoma cases were 3.4 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.3–8.8) and 6.6 (95% CI = 2.7–16.3) for VCA‐IgA and EA‐IgG, respectively. These results suggest that EBV reactivation occurs in vivo, since more than 90% of Japanese are infected with EBV in early childhood. The GMT of VCA‐IgG in EBV‐negative carcinoma cases was higher than that of healthy controls ( P = 0.028). The seroprevalence rates of EA‐IgG were greater in EBV‐negative carcinoma cases than in healthy controls (OR = 4.9, 95% CI = 1.2–19.7). VCA‐IgA was the only antibody that showed a significantly high seroprevalence and GMT in EBV‐positive carcinoma cases, but not in EBV‐negative carcinoma cases. Thus, VCA‐IgA can be a marker of immune response to EBV in EBV‐positive carcinoma cases. Our findings support the hypothesis that if EBV is involved in the development of EBV‐positive gastric carcinoma, the EBV reactivation occurs in vivo. J. Med. Virol. 60:411–416, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.