title: History of chickenpox and shingles and prevalence of antibodies to varicella-zoster virus and three other herpesviruses among adults with glioma and controls.
abstract: Whether viruses or immunologic factors might cause or prevent human brain cancer is of interest. Statistically significant inverse associations of adult glioma with history of chickenpox and immunoglobulin G antibodies to varicella-zoster virus have been reported. The authors evaluate associations of immunoglobulin G antibodies to varicella-zoster virus and three other herpesviruses among 229 adults with glioma and 289 controls in the San Francisco Bay Area Adult Glioma Study (1997-2000). Cases were less likely than controls to report a history of chickenpox (for self-reported cases vs. controls: the age-, gender-, and ethnicity-adjusted odds ratio = 0.59, 95% confidence interval: 0.40, 0.86), and they also had lower levels of immunoglobulin G to varicella-zoster virus (for being in the highest quartile vs. the lowest quartile: the age-, gender-, and ethnicity-adjusted odds ratio = 0.41, 95% confidence interval: 0.24, 0.70). The inverse association with anti-varicella-zoster virus immunoglobulin G was most marked for glioblastoma multiforme cases versus controls and was only somewhat attenuated by excluding subjects taking high-dose steroids and other medications. Cases and controls did not differ notably for positivity to three other herpesviruses, Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex virus. Cohort studies may help to clarify the nature of the association between immunity to and/or clinical manifestations of varicella-zoster virus and glioblastoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94102, USA. wrensch@itsa.ucsf.edu
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wrensch
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weinberg
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wiencke
authors.forename: Rei
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Miike
authors.forename: Jennette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sison
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wiemels
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barger
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: DeLorenze
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aldape
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kelsey
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005910:Glioma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017678:Sex Distribution; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D007074:Immunoglobulin G