1. Cytomegalovirus infection may be oncoprotective against neoplasms of B-lymphocyte lineage: single-institution experience and survey of global evidence.
- Author
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Janković, Marko, Knežević, Aleksandra, Todorović, Milena, Đunić, Irena, Mihaljević, Biljana, Soldatović, Ivan, Protić, Jelena, Miković, Nevenka, Stoiljković, Vera, and Jovanović, Tanja
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CYTOMEGALOVIRUS diseases , *B cells , *TUMORS , *SEROCONVERSION , *CYTOMEGALOVIRUSES - Abstract
Background: Although cytomegalovirus (CMV) is not considered tumorigenic, there is evidence for its oncomodulatory effects and association with hematological neoplasms. Conversely, a number of experimental and clinical studies suggest its putative anti-tumour effect. We investigated the potential connection between chronic CMV infection in patients with B-lymphocyte (B-cell) malignancies in a retrospective single-center study and extracted relevant data on CMV prevalences and the incidences of B-cell cancers the world over. Methods: In the clinical single-center study, prevalence of chronic CMV infection was compared between patients with B-cell leukemia/lymphoma and the healthy controls. Also, global data on CMV seroprevalences and the corresponding country-specific incidences of B- lineage neoplasms worldwide were investigated for potential correlations. Results: Significantly higher CMV seropositivity was observed in control subjects than in patients with B-cell malignancies (p = 0.035). Moreover, an unexpected seroepidemiological evidence of highly significant inverse relationship between country-specific CMV prevalence and the annual incidence of B-cell neoplasms was noted across the populations worldwide (ρ = −0.625, p < 0.001). Conclusions: We try to draw attention to an unreported interplay between CMV infection and B-cell lymphomagenesis in adults. A large-scale survey across > 70 countries disclosed a link between CMV and B-cell neoplasms. Our evidence hints at an antagonistic effect of chronic CMV infection against B-lymphoproliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
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