The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been associated with gastric cancer (GC), one of the deadliest malignancies in Chile and the world. Little is known about Chilean EBV strains. This study aims to investigate the frequency and genetic diversity of EBV in GC in patients in southern Chile. To evaluate the prevalence of EBV in GC patients from the Chilean population, we studied 54 GC samples using the gold standard detection method of EBV-encoded small RNA (EBER). The EBV-positive samples were subjected to amplification and sequencing of the Epstein-Barr virus nuclear protein 3A (EBNA3A) gene to evaluate the genetic diversity of EBV strains circulating in southern Chile. In total, 22.2% of the GC samples were EBV-positive and significantly associated with diffuse-type histology (p = 0.003). Phylogenetic analyses identified EBV-1 and EBV-2 in the GC samples, showing genetic diversity among Chilean isolates. This work provides important information for an epidemiological follow-up of the different EBV subtypes that may cause GC in southern Chile.
Keywords: Chile; EBNA3A; Epstein–Barr virus (EBV); gastric cancer; phylogeny.