Epstein-Barr virus infection and gastrointestinal diseases

Abstract

Epstein-Barr is a member of the herpesvirus family that
infects more than 90% of the world‘s population. Although
primary infection typically occurs within the first few years
of life or in adolescence and is generally asymptomatic or
results in infectious mononucleosis respectively, in some
cases the virus is implicated with the development of a
large spectrum of gastrointestinal malignant and benign
diseases.
Thus, Epstein-Barr virus is strongly involved in the pathogenesis
of non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas and is associated also
with some cases of Hodgkin’s disease, Burkitt’s lymphoma,
gastric and esophageal cancer and rarely with some
benign gastrointestinal diseases.
Key words: Epstein-Barr virus, non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas,
Hodgkin’s disease, Burkitt‘s lymphoma, gastric cancer, esophageal
cancer, esophagitis, gastritis, inflammatory bowel
disease.