Elevated seroprevalence of human herpesvirus 8 among men with prostate cancer

J Infect Dis. 2004 Jan 1;189(1):15-20. doi: 10.1086/380568. Epub 2003 Dec 31.

Abstract

Background. To investigate any epidemiological association between human herpesvirus (HHV)-8 and prostate cancer, we determined the prevalence of HHV-8 seropositivity among prostate cancer case and control subjects in the United States and Trinidad and Tobago.Methods. Antibodies against HHV-8 were detected in 2 independent laboratories using either indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) or a combination of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and IFA.Results. Among 138 Tobago men with prostate cancer, HHV-8 seroprevalence was 39.9%-significantly higher than that among 140 age-matched control subjects (22.9%; P=.003; odds ratio [OR], 2.24; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.29-3.90). Among 100 US men with prostate cancer, seroprevalence was 20%-significantly higher than that of 177 blood donors (5.1%; P=.001; OR, 4.67; 95% CI, 1.91-11.65) and higher than that of 99 men with cancer not related to HHV-8 (13%; P=.253; 95% CI, 0.77-3.54).Conclusions. HHV-8 seropositivity is elevated among men with prostate cancer compared with control subjects, which suggests that HHV-8 plays a role in the development of prostate cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood*
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Comorbidity
  • Confidence Intervals
  • Herpesviridae Infections / blood
  • Herpesviridae Infections / epidemiology*
  • Herpesvirus 8, Human / isolation & purification*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Odds Ratio
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / blood
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / epidemiology*
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies
  • Trinidad and Tobago / epidemiology
  • United States / epidemiology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral