Epstein‐Barr Virus‐associated Gastric Carcinoma in Japanese Brazilians and Non‐Japanese Brazilians in São Paulo

Abstract

The proportion of Epstein‐Barr virus‐associated gastric carcinoma (EB V‐GC) was examined in 149 Japanese‐Brazilian and 151 non‐Japanese‐Brazilian gastric‐carcinoma cases using in situ hybridization (ISH) assay to detect EBV‐encoded small RNA (EBER), and the results were compared with our referent Japanese data. We found that 4.7% of cases in Japanese Brazilians were EBER‐positive. This frequency was slightly lower than that of the referent Japanese, among whom 6.2% of 2038 gastric‐carcinoma cases were EBER‐positive. On the other hand, the non‐Japanese‐Brazilian series showed a significantly higher proportion of EBV‐GC (11.2%) than the referent group did (P=0.01). Although EBV‐GC was predominant in males among non‐Japanese Brazilians (M/ F=3.6, P=0.047), as was the case in Japanese (M/F=2.7), Japanese Brazilians did not show such a male predominance. The sex‐ratio difference between the Japanese Brazilians and Japanese was statistically significant (P=0.005). In conclusion, the present study in Japanese Brazilians and Japanese yielded no evidence suggesting any change in the frequency of EBV‐GC caused by migration, except the absence of male predominance, which was observed both in Japanese and non‐Japanese Brazilians.