Antibody levels against BK virus and prostate, kidney and bladder cancers in the EPIC-Oxford cohort
2005
BK Virus and Cancer Risk
Sample size: 50
publication
Evidence: low
Author Information
Author(s): Newton R, Ribeiro T, Casabonne D, Alvarez E, Touzé A, Key T, Coursaget P
Hypothesis
Is there a link between BK virus antibodies and prostate, kidney, and bladder cancers?
Conclusion
The study found no evidence of a link between BK virus antibodies and the cancers studied.
Supporting Evidence
- The prevalence of anti-BKV antibodies was 91% among controls and 94% among prostate cancer cases.
- The study included 31 cases of prostate cancer, 5 cases of kidney cancer, and 9 cases of bladder cancer.
- Statistical analyses were performed using STATA software.
Takeaway
The study looked at whether having antibodies against a virus called BK could mean a person is more likely to get certain types of cancer, but it found no connection.
Methodology
A case-control study nested within the EPIC-Oxford cohort, comparing antibody levels in cancer cases and matched controls.
Limitations
The number of cases for kidney and bladder cancer was small.
Participant Demographics
Participants were aged 20 years and above, living in the UK.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.3
Confidence Interval
0.6–1.2
Statistical Significance
p=0.3
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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