EPID-17. ANTIBODY REACTIVITY TO VARICELLA ZOSTER VIRUS IS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVED GLIOMA SURVIVAL AND IS MODIFIED BY GERMLINE HLA POLYMORPHISMS

Abstract

Abstract Antigenic reactivity towards varicella zoster virus (VZV) has shown a consistent reduction in glioma risk across multiple studies on multiple continents. To our knowledge this is the virus to be robustly associated with reduced risk of any cancer. Our recent work has shown that high VZV reactivity is also assumed with improved glioma prognosis. Using the UKBioBank we have previously shown that germline HLA polymorphism, rs9273325, significantly effects reactivity to VZV. In this study we investigate the VZV glioma survival association in the context of germline HLA polymorphisms. METHODS: We measured quantitative IgG reactivity towards VZV gE, and conducted genome wide array based genotyping in 891 adults with glioma. Associations of patient IgG levels (1st quartile vs. quartiles 2,3,4) with overall survival were estimated using Cox models adjusted for age, sex, self-reported race, surgery type, dexamethasone usage at blood draw. RESULTS: VZV seroreactivity was significantly associated with reduced mortality (HR=0.83, 95% CI: 0.70-0.99; p=0.034), as expected from our previous study. Among patients with rs9273325-GG, higher levels of VZV antibodies were associated better prognosis (HR=0.75, 0.62-0.92; p=0.005), but in the rs9273325-GA/AA strata this relationship with VZV antibodies was not observed (HR=0.94, 0.66-1.35; p=0.75). Similar results were observed in grade IV gliomas, IDHwt GBMs. CONCLUSIONS: Strong antibody response to VZV is associated with improved glioma prognosis and the effect of VZV reactivity on glioma survival is modified by a specific HLA polymorphism, a Gene x Virus interaction, that is unlikely due to chance. This study highlights the importance of accounting for HLA variation in immune related studies, including oncolytic viral therapies. Our findings also point towards a potentially MHC mediated mechanism by which VZV could be priming an immune response targeting glioma cells. Further investigations into this mechanism and VZV/shingles vaccination as a potential glioma therapeutic are warranted.