Premium
Sero‐epidemiological analysis of the risk of virus infections for childhood leukaemia
Author(s) -
Schlehofer Brigitte,
Blettner Maria,
Geletneky Karsten,
Haaf HansGünter,
Kaatsch Peter,
Michaelis Jörg,
MuellerLantzsch Nikolaus,
Niehoff Dorothea,
Winkelspecht Bernd,
Wahrendorf Jürgen,
Schlehofer Jörg R.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
international journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.475
H-Index - 234
eISSN - 1097-0215
pISSN - 0020-7136
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0215(19960301)65:5<584::aid-ijc5>3.0.co;2-z
Subject(s) - serology , medicine , virus , parvovirus , antibody , immunology , epidemiology , virology , childhood leukaemia , viral disease , leukemia , pediatrics
Virus infections have been thought to be involved in the development of childhood leukaemia. In order to address this issue we determined, in a case‐control study, the prevalence of antibodies to viruses infecting blood or bone‐marrow cells [Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV), human herpes virus type 6 (HHV‐6), parvovirus B19] as well as to the human virus known for its tumour‐suppressive properties, the adeno‐associated virus type 2 (AAV‐2), in the sera of 121 children with leukaemia in Germany, and in 197 control individuals, hospitalized for other reasons, and matched for age and gender to the cases. In addition, we developed a questionnaire to be answered by the children's parents, in order to gain information on previous infections of the children as well as to calculate for factors which may influence serological findings. Comparative determination of the prevalence of antibodies against AAV‐2, B‐19 or HHV‐6 revealed no significant differences in cases and controls. However, antibodies to EBV were more frequently found in children with leukaemia younger than 6 years of age (age at the time of diagnosis of leukaemia) than in controls. Apparently, infection with AAV‐2 has no protective effect in childhood leukaemia, in contrast to results observed for other malignancies. Similarly, and in accordance with results on leukaemia in adults, we found no indication of a protective effect of infection with the parvovirus B‐19. The data suggest that EBV, which is known to be involved in various lymphomas, may play a role in the development of childhood leukaemia in young children. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.