Abstract
Infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV), notably HPV type 16, has been associated with esophageal cancer in seroepidemiological studies. To evaluate the consistency of the association, we performed a nested case-control study of HPV seropositivity and risk of esophageal cancer within a prospectively followed cohort of 300,000 Norwegian men and women who had donated blood samples to a serum bank. The data file of the serum bank was linked with the nationwide Cancer Registry of Norway to identify esophageal cancers diagnosed after donation of the serum sample. Fifty-seven cases and 171 matched controls were analyzed for antibodies to specific microorganisms, and odds ratios for developing esophageal cancer were calculated. There was an increased risk of developing esophageal cancer among HPV 16-seropositive subjects (odds ratio = 6.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.1–71) but not among Chlamydia trachomatis-seropositive subjects. Adjustment for the presence of serum cotinine, a marker of smoking habits, did not affect the estimates substantially. The seroepidemiological association between HPV 16 and esophageal cancer seems to be consistent in different countries.
Footnotes
-
↵1 This work was supported by the Nordic Cancer Union, the Norwegian Cancer Society, the Nordic Council on Research Education, and the Swedish Cancer Society.
-
↵2 To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Cancer Registry of Norway, Institute for Epidemiological Cancer Research, Montebello, N-0310 Oslo, Norway.
- Received March 21, 1997.
- Accepted July 11, 1997.
- ©1997 American Association for Cancer Research.
Volume 57, Issue 18
