Morphofunctional state of the gastric mucosa in children with chronic gastritis and the persistence of Epstein-Barr virus

Abstract

The aim is to establish the effect of the persistence of the Epstein-Barr virus on the morphofunctional state of the gastric mucosa in chronic gastritis in children. Methods. 324 children aged 6—16 years with chronic gastritis were examined. We analyzed clinical and anamnestic data, the results of esophagogastroduodenoscopy with biopsy, genetic typing of Hp with the identification of pathogenicity genes VacA, CagA, IceA, BabA. The persistence of the Epstein-Barr virus was determined by the detection of its DNA in the materials of gastrobiopsy. The titer of class G antibodies to gastric parietal cells was studied in 110 patients.The results of the study. In children with chronic gastritis, Epstein-Barr virus was detected in the gastric mucosa in 49.1% of cases. In these patients, its colonization by highly pathogenic Hp strains was detected 1.8 times more often than in patients who had no infection with this virus. The persistence of the Epstein-Barr virus contributed to an increase in the severity of inflammation, the appearance of signs of indefinite atrophy of the mucous membrane and in the absolute majority of children was not accompanied by an increase in the titer of antibodies to the parietal cells of the stomach.Conclusion. The persistence of Epstein-Barr virus in the gastric mucosa in chronic Hp-associated gastritis contributes to its infection with highly pathogenic Hp strains and severe inflammation. No data have been obtained indicating the role of Epstein-Barr virus in the formation of atrophic or autoimmune gastritis in childhood.