Herpes Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Herpes, including details on herpes simplex virus (hsv), genital, oral, symptoms, treatment.

Human herpesvirus type 6 and type 1 infection increases susceptibility to nonmelanoma skin tumors.

Leite JL, Stolf HO, Reis NA, Ward LS

Laboratory of Cancer Molecular Genetics, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, State University of Campinas (Unicamp), 45 Olympio Pattaro, Campinas, São Paulo 13085-045, Brazil.

In order to investigate herpesvirus (HHV) role in the susceptibility to skin cancer, we compared HHV6 and HHV1 incidence in DNA samples extracted from 120 lesions and 41 normal skin tissues. HHV6 (31.7%) and HHV1 (23.8%) were detected more frequently in skin cancer than in control individuals (14.6 and 5%, respectively) (P=0.0391 and P=0.00094, respectively). The risk of presenting basal cell carcinomas (BCC) was more than 3 times higher for HHV-6 infected patients (OR=3.182; 95% CI: 1.125-8.997). The risk for HHV-1 infected individuals of presenting BCC and squamous cell carcinomas was increased 8 and 6 times, respectively (OR=8.125; 95% CI: 1.735-38.043 and OR=6.290; 95% CI: 1.283-30.856, respectively).

Published 25 May 2005 in Cancer Lett, 224(2): 213-9.
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