Prevalence and co-detection of Helicobacter pylori, Epstein–Barr virus, and human papillomavirus in gastric tissues: a cross-sectional study from Yazd, Iran (2019–2022)
- 1Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
- 2Department of Microbiology and Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
- 3Hematology and Oncology Research Center, Non-Communicable Diseases Research Institute, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
Abstract
Background and Objectives:: Gastric cancer remains a leading cause of cancer mortality and exhibits significant geographic variation. Although Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a well-established carcinogen, the contributions of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) and human papillomavirus (HPV), individually or in conjunction with H. pylori, are not fully understood. This study assessed the prevalence and co-detection of these pathogens in gastric tissues from Yazd, Iran.
Materials and Methods:: An archive-based cross-sectional study was conducted using 130 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) gastric specimens collected between 2019 and 2022, comprising 83 gastric adenocarcinomas and 47 non-malignant tissues. H. pylori was detected by conventional PCR targeting 16S rRNA, while EBV and HPV were identified by nested PCR targeting EBNA-1 and L1, respectively. PCR products were confirmed by agarose gel electrophoresis, and selected amplicons were verified by Sanger sequencing.
Results:: H. pylori was detected in 74 of 130 specimens (56.9%), with a prevalence of 62.7% in malignant tissues and 46.8% in non-malignant tissues (p=0.080). EBV was identified in three malignant cases (3.6%) and HPV in one malignant case (1.2%), with no positive findings in non-malignant samples (p=0.187 and p=0.450, respectively). Three co-detections were observed in malignant tissues, including two cases of H. pylori with EBV and one case of H. pylori with HPV. Due to the limited number of EBV- and HPV-positive cases, association analyses lacked statistical power.
Conclusion:: H. pylori was the predominant microorganism detected, while EBV and HPV were rare and co-detections were infrequent. Larger prospective studies employing complementary molecular techniques and H. pylori virulence profiling are required to elucidate the clinical significance of these infections in gastric carcinogenesis.
Related
- Prevalence, genotype distribution and associated factors of high-risk human papillomavirus among pregnant women in Eastern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional analysis nested within a population-based cohort study
- Detection of Helicobacter pylori in dental plaque among children with gastrointestinal disorders in a hospital-based cross-sectional study
- Prevalence and genotype distribution of human papillomavirus (HPV) among adolescent girls and young women in a high HIV burden rural area of South Africa: a cross-sectional survey
- An 11-Year Comprehensive Retrospective Study on the Prevalence and Genotype Distribution of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in Women and Men in Türkiye and Northern Cyprus
- Association Between Intermittent Water Supply and Helicobacter pylori Prevalence: A Global Ecological Study
BibTeX
@article{rouhipanah2026prevalence,
title = {{Prevalence and co-detection of Helicobacter pylori, Epstein–Barr virus, and human papillomavirus in gastric tissues: a cross-sectional study from Yazd, Iran (2019–2022)}},
author = {Zahra Rouhipanah and Seyed Sajjad Alavi Kakhki and Mehdi Fatahi-Bafghi and Javad Charostad and Akram Astani},
journal = {Iranian Journal of Microbiology},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.18502/ijm.v18i5.22867},
url = {https://doi.org/10.18502/ijm.v18i5.22867},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Prevalence and co-detection of Helicobacter pylori, Epstein–Barr virus, and human papillomavirus in gastric tissues: a cross-sectional study from Yazd, Iran (2019–2022)
AU - Zahra Rouhipanah
AU - Seyed Sajjad Alavi Kakhki
AU - Mehdi Fatahi-Bafghi
AU - Javad Charostad
AU - Akram Astani
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/06
JO - Iranian Journal of Microbiology
DO - 10.18502/ijm.v18i5.22867
UR - https://doi.org/10.18502/ijm.v18i5.22867
AB - Background and Objectives:: Gastric cancer remains a leading cause of cancer mortality and exhibits significant geographic variation. Although Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a well-established carcinogen, the contributions of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) and human papillomavirus (HPV), individually or in conjunction with H. pylori, are not fully understood. This study assessed the prevalence and co-detection of these pathogens in gastric tissues from Yazd, Iran. Materials and Methods:: An archive-based cross-sectional study was conducted using 130 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) gastric specimens collected between 2019 and 2022, comprising 83 gastric adenocarcinomas and 47 non-malignant tissues. H. pylori was detected by conventional PCR targeting 16S rRNA, while EBV and HPV were identified by nested PCR targeting EBNA-1 and L1, respectively. PCR products were confirmed by agarose gel electrophoresis, and selected amplicons were verified by Sanger sequencing. Results:: H. pylori was detected in 74 of 130 specimens (56.9%), with a prevalence of 62.7% in malignant tissues and 46.8% in non-malignant tissues (p=0.080). EBV was identified in three malignant cases (3.6%) and HPV in one malignant case (1.2%), with no positive findings in non-malignant samples (p=0.187 and p=0.450, respectively). Three co-detections were observed in malignant tissues, including two cases of H. pylori with EBV and one case of H. pylori with HPV. Due to the limited number of EBV- and HPV-positive cases, association analyses lacked statistical power. Conclusion:: H. pylori was the predominant microorganism detected, while EBV and HPV were rare and co-detections were infrequent. Larger prospective studies employing complementary molecular techniques and H. pylori virulence profiling are required to elucidate the clinical significance of these infections in gastric carcinogenesis.
SN - 2008-3289
SN - 2008-4447
ER -