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Epstein–Barr Virus Antibody Titers Are Not Associated with Gastric Cancer Risk in East Asia

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Abstract

Background

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)-positive gastric cancers represent a distinct subtype of gastric cancers and account for nearly 10% of the gastric cancer burden, yet risk detection strategies for this cancer subtype are lacking.

Methods

We conducted a nested case–control study where we assayed 4 EBV antigens [viral capsid antigen (VCA), early antigen (EA), Epstein–Barr nuclear antigen (EBNA), and BZLF1-encoded replication activator protein (ZEBRA)] in either sera or plasma from 1447 gastric cancer cases and 1797 controls obtained from seven prospective cohorts representing individuals from the high gastric cancer-risk countries of China, Japan, and Korea.

Results

The prevalence of EBV sero-positivity was universal with the exception of one sero-negative individual, and the highest titers of the EBV antigens VCA (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.78–1.17), EBNA (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.72–1.08), EA (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.79–1.19), and ZEBRA (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.71–1.07) were not associated with risk of incident gastric cancer. When we stratified these data by H. pylori status, there was no change in the association.

Conclusions

Multiplex serology of the aforementioned EBV antigens in serum may not be a suitable biomarker for predicting gastric cancer risk in East Asian populations.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Institute of Health and the National Cancer Institute R01CA174853 (M. Epplein) and the Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology of Cancer Fellowship R25CA160056 (X.-O. Shu, P. I. and M. G. Varga, Trainee) and the Cancer Control Education Program 2T32CA057726-26 (K. Ribisl, P. I. and M. G. Varga, Trainee). The Shanghai Men’s and Women’s studies were supported by Grants from the National Cancer Institute (R37 CA070867 and UM1 CA182910 to W. Zheng; R01 CA082729 and UM1 CA 173640 to X.-O. Shu).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 3207B Michael Hooker Research Center, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA

    Matthew G. Varga

  2. Division of Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center and Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37203, USA

    Matthew G. Varga, Hui Cai, Qiuyin Cai, Wei Zheng, Xiao-Ou Shu & Meira Epplein

  3. Division of Molecular Diagnostics of Oncogenic Infections, Research Program in Infection, Inflammation, and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DFKZ), 69120, Heidelberg, Germany

    Tim Waterboer & Michael Pawlita

  4. Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA

    Gwen Murphy, Phil R. Taylor & Christian C. Abnet

  5. Epidemiology and Prevention Group, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan

    Taichi Shimazu & Shoichiro Tsugane

  6. Department of Cancer Epidemiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medial College, Beijing, 100021, China

    You-Lin Qiao

  7. Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, 110-799, Korea

    Sue K. Park

  8. Department of Preventive Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, 110-799, Korea

    Keun-Young Yoo

  9. Department of Epidemiology and Health Promotion, Institute for Health Promotion, Yonsei University, Seoul, 120-752, Korea

    Sun Ha Jee & Eo Rin Cho

  10. Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention, Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Goyang, 410-769, Korea

    Jeongseon Kim

  11. Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University and Cancer Control and Population Sciences Program, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC, 27705, USA

    Meira Epplein

Authors
  1. Matthew G. Varga
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  2. Hui Cai
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  3. Tim Waterboer
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  15. Qiuyin Cai
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  16. Wei Zheng
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  17. Michael Pawlita
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  18. Xiao-Ou Shu
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  19. Meira Epplein
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Matthew G. Varga.

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Varga, M.G., Cai, H., Waterboer, T. et al. Epstein–Barr Virus Antibody Titers Are Not Associated with Gastric Cancer Risk in East Asia. Dig Dis Sci 63, 2765–2772 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-018-5154-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-018-5154-9

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