Intestinal Parasites in Kaposi Sarcoma Patients in Uganda: Indication of Shared Risk Factors or Etiologic Association

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.