title: Intestinal parasites in Kaposi sarcoma patients in Uganda: indication of shared risk factors or etiologic association.
abstract: Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is endemic in Uganda and shares several risk factors with intestinal parasite infestation, including rural residence, contact with surface water, and walking barefoot, however, the significance of these ecologic relationships is unknown. We investigated these relationships among 1,985 Ugandan patients with cancer. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated using logistic regression. KS patients had higher carriage of Strongyloides stercoralis larvae (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.2-3.7) and lower carriage of hookworm ova (0.6, 0.4-1.0) and Entamoeba coli cysts (0.7, 0.5-1.0), after adjusting for region of residence, age, gender, and diagnosis. While our findings may be due to confounding, they are compatible with shared risk factors or etiological association between parasites and KS, and warrant well-designed follow up studies.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Cynthia J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Katongole-Mbidde
authors.forename: Tadeos
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Byekwaso
authors.forename: Jackson
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Orem
authors.forename: Charles S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Rabkin
authors.forename: Sam M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Mbulaiteye
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000635:transmission; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology