pathogens Review Epstein–Barr Virus and Helicobacter Pylori Co-Infection in Non-Malignant Gastroduodenal Disorders Ramsés Dávila-Collado 1, Oscar Jarquín-Durán 1, Le Thanh Dong 2 and J. Luis Espinoza 3,* 1 Faculty of Medicine, UNIDES University, Managua 11001, Nicaragua;
[email protected] (R.D.-C.);
[email protected] (O.J.-D.) 2 Faculty of Medical Technology, Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi 116001, Vietnam;
[email protected] 3 Faculty of Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kodatsuno 5-11-80, Kanazawa 920-0942, Ishikawa, Japan * Correspondence: luis@staff.kanazawa-u.ac.jp Received: 20 January 2020; Accepted: 5 February 2020; Published: 6 February 2020 Abstract: Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) are two pathogens associated with the development of various human cancers. The coexistence of both microorganisms in gastric cancer specimens has been increasingly reported, suggesting that crosstalk of both pathogens may be implicated in the carcinogenesis process. Considering that chronic inflammation is an initial step in the development of several cancers, including gastric cancer, we conducted a systematic review to comprehensively evaluate publications in which EBV and H. pylori co-infection has been documented in patients with non-malignant gastroduodenal disorders (NMGDs), including gastritis, peptic ulcer disease (PUD), and dyspepsia. We searched the PubMed database up to August 2019, as well as publication references and, among the nine studies that met the inclusion criteria, we identified six studies assessing EBV infection directly in gastric tissues (total 949 patients) and three studies in which EBV infection status was determined by serological methods (total 662 patients).