Frequency of Epstein Barr Virus Infection among Gastric Carcinoma Patients in Khartoum State

Abstract

This study was carried out in Khartoum State in the period between March and July 2012. The main objective was to determine the frequency of Epstein-Barr virus in patients with cancer of the stomach. A total of 150 ascites samples were collected from suspected patients with gastric cancer and then all samples were tested by using real time polymerize chain reaction (RT-PCR). The results revealed that the proportion of Epstein-Barr virus in the total sample was 14 (9.3%). The proportion of people who suffer from cancer of the stomach of the total samples were 32 (21.3%), and among confirmed patients with gastric cancer rate was 8 (25%), while 6 (5.08%) in the unconfirmed patients. Either in terms of the association between age and cancer of the stomach, the results show that the highest rate was among patients who were aged over 70 years, where the percent was 60 % and women accounted for 87.5% of the patients suffering from Epstein-Barr virus and cancer of the stomach. Either in terms of the relationship between age, sex, and cancer of the stomach and infection Epstein-Barr has varied ages among females between 32 and 78 and found one male was 65 years old, and the viral load ranged between 350 and 3500 among unconfirmed GC patients and ranged between 890 and 3500 among confirmed gastric cancer patients. This study concluded that there is a connection between stomach cancer and Epstein-Barr virus. A direct association in the sense that this virus may be one of the causes of cancer of the stomach. Further studies are needed to confirm these results.