📖 ABSTRACT/OVERVIEW
Epstein-Barr virus is an oncogenic herpesvirus associated with Burkitt lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, and post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders, yet EBV seroprevalence and its lymphoma association remain insufficiently characterised in Nigerian adult populations. This study determined EBV seroprevalence and assessed its association with lymphoma in adult patients at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Osun State, South West Nigeria. A case-control study enrolled 80 adult lymphoma patients histopathologically confirmed and 80 age and sex-matched non-lymphoma controls. Serum was tested for EBV VCA IgG, VCA IgM, EA IgG, and EBNA IgG by indirect ELISA. In situ hybridisation for EBER was performed on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue from lymphoma biopsies where available. EBV VCA IgG seroprevalence was 92.5% in lymphoma patients and 88.8% in controls, indicating near-universal past exposure. Active or recent EBV infection indicated by VCA IgM was found in 18.8% of lymphoma cases versus 7.5% of controls. EBER positivity was detected in 41.4% of lymphoma tissue sections, predominantly Hodgkin and Burkitt cases. EBV EA IgG was significantly elevated in lymphoma patients. The study confirms high EBV seroprevalence across both groups but identifies specific EBV reactivation markers enriched in lymphoma patients, supporting a contributory role in lymphomagenesis. Expanded EBV-lymphoma research with molecular genotyping is recommended to inform targeted EBV-associated lymphoma screening in South West Nigeria. Keywords: Epstein-Barr virus, lymphoma, EBER, seroprevalence, oncogenic herpesvirus
Need Complete Chapters of the Above Topic?
Get high-quality, Zero-AI research materials with current citations.
Request via WhatsApp 💬