No serological evidence of association between prostate cancer and infection with herpes simplex virus type 2 or human herpesvirus type 8: a nested case-control study

Sexual history has consistently been found to be a risk factor for the development of prostate cancer. An association between prostate cancer and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) or Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus/human herpesvirus type 8 (HHV-8) infections has also been reported. Linkage of data on a cohort of 20,243 healthy Finnish men identified 165 cases of prostate cancer that were diagnosed up to 24 years after donation of a serum sample. Two control subjects were matched by age, sex, and municipality of residence to each case patient. Serum levels of immunoglobulin G against HSV-2 and HHV-8 were determined. Neither HSV-2 infection (odds ratio [OR], 0.93 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 0.44-1.96]) nor HHV-8 infection (OR, 0.74 [95% CI, 0.19-2.88]) was associated with prostate cancer.