Human Herpesvirus 8 Seroprevalence among Prostate Cancer Case Patients and Control Subjects

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases Vol. 196; no. 2; pp. 208 - 211
• Main Authors: Jenkins, F. J., Hayes, R. B., Jackson, A., Pizza, G., Mbisa, G., Whitby, D., Goedert, J. J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL The University of Chicago Press 15.07.2007; University of Chicago Press
• Subjects: Adult; African Americans; Antibodies; Antibodies, Viral - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Case control studies; District of Columbia - epidemiology; Epidemiology; European Continental Ancestry Group; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Herpesviridae Infections - complications; Herpesviridae Infections - epidemiology; Herpesvirus 8, Human - pathogenicity; Human herpesvirus 8; Humans; Italy - epidemiology; Male; Medical sciences; Men; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; Predisposing factors; Prostate cancer; Prostatic hyperplasia; Prostatic Hyperplasia - virology; Prostatic Neoplasms - virology; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Tumors; Virology; Viruses; District of Columbia; Italy; Gammaherpesvirinae; Human; Urinary system disease; Prevalence; Prostate disease; Herpesviridae; Serology; Malignant tumor; Epidemiology; Virus; Human herpesvirus 8; Male genital diseases; Prostate cancer
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1086/518790

To investigate a possible association between human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) and prostate cancer, we evaluated HHV-8 seroprevalence in 2 case-control studies. HHV-8 antibodies were detected by immunofluorescence with cells expressing lytic viral proteins and by enzyme immunoassays with recombinant viral structural protein (K8.1) and latent protein (LANA-1; ORF73), respectively. HHV-8 seroprevalence tended to be lower in patients with prostate cancer than in control subjects, but there was no significant difference in either study. These data imply that HHV-8 is not a major prevalent cause of prostate cancer.