NCI International EBV-Gastric Cancer Consortium
The Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), also known as human herpesvirus 4, is a virus of the Herpesveridae family, and is one of the most common DNA viruses in humans. EBV infection is associated with several benign and malignant diseases, including Burkitt and some other types of lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and gastric cancer. Monoclonal EBV DNA is found in the tumor cells of about 9% of gastric adenocarcinomas, which have particular molecular characteristics (see References). The etiological significance of the viral infection is uncertain.
The NCI International EBV-Gastric Cancer Consortium is a collaboration among NCI and extramural investigators, established by DCEG in 2006. This Consortium utilizes data and biospecimens from completed and ongoing case series and observational studies of gastric cancer conducted in low- and high-risk populations. The presence of EBV in cancer cells is assessed by in situ hybridization for EBV-encoded RNA (EBER), the gold standard assay for detecting latent infection. This research effort was designed to replicate and extend findings from previous studies hindered by small numbers of EBV-positive cases, and to stimulate multidisciplinary research in this area. Analyses from this research group to date have focused on epidemiological and clinicopathological characterization of EBV-positive gastric cancer (see References). Laboratory studies comparing EBV-positive and -negative cases are currently underway addressing:
• Anti-EBV and anti-Helicobacter pylori antibody profiles
• Tissue expression of metabolic pathways
• Blood-based methods for diagnosis
References
Song L, et al. Identification of anti-Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antibody signature in EBV-associated gastric carcinoma. Gastric Cancer 2021.
Camargo MC, et al. Circulating antibodies against Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) and p53 in EBV-positive and -negative gastric cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2019.
Camargo MC, et al. Associations of Epstein-Barr Virus-positive gastric adenocarcinoma with circulating mediators of inflammation and immune response. Cancers 2018.
Camargo MC, et al. Anti-Helicobacter pylori antibody profiles in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive and EBV-negative gastric cancer. Helicobacter 2016.
Camargo MC, et al. Validation and calibration of next-generation sequencing to identify Epstein-Barr virus-positive gastric cancer in The Cancer Genome Atlas. Gastric Cancer 2016.
Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network. Comprehensive molecular characterization of gastric adenocarcinoma. Nature 2014.
Murphy G, et al. Meta-analysis shows that prevalence of Epstein-Barr virus-positive gastric cancer differs based on sex and anatomic location. Gastroenterology 2009.
Camargo MC, et al. Determinants of Epstein-Barr virus-positive gastric cancer: An international pooled analysis. Br J Cancer 2011.
Camargo MC, et al. Improved survival of gastric cancer with tumour Epstein-Barr virus positivity: An international pooled analysis. Gut 2014; Epub 2013.
Camargo MC, et al. Case-case comparison of smoking and alcohol risk associations with Epstein-Barr virus-positive gastric cancer. Int J Cancer 2014; Epub 2013.
For more information, contact Charles Rabkin.
Infections and Immunoepidemiology Branch Research Areas