Abstract
The role of viral infections in gliomagenesis has long been in question. Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is a neurotropic alpha-herpesvirus that causes chicken pox among initial infection and shingles upon re-activation later in life. VZV infection has been associated with lower glioma risk in some studies, but several gaps in knowledge remain. Using data from our large consortium, the Glioma International Case-Control Study (GICC), we examined the association between history of chicken pox and glioma risk, overall, by tumor subtype, and by age at glioma diagnosis. Data on 4545 glioma cases and 4173 controls from 14 different sites across five countries was combined using maximum likelihood estimation/restricted maximum likelihood meta-analysis methods. Reporting a positive history of chicken pox was associated with a 21% lower glioma risk, compared to having a negative history of chicken pox (95% CI: 0.65-0.96). When stratified by glioma subtype, a significant protective effect was observed among glioblastoma (GBM) cases (meta-OR: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.55-0.95), but not among the non-GBM group (meta-OR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.70-1.13). Our findings corroborate previous reports on the protective effect of chicken pox on glioma risk in one of the largest study populations available on this rare and highly fatal disease.
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