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Is natural infection with M. tuberculosis protective against cancer?

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Abstract

In order to investigate the effect of natural infection with M. tuberculosis on cancer incidence, a case-control study was undertaken on 108 recently diagnosed cancer cases (all sites) and 317 controls. After removal of cancer cases or controls considered immunoincompetent (25% and 17% respectively), the remaining subjects were tested by intradermal injection of tuberculin (5 I.U.). Results were compared separately for each sex. It was observed that the proportion of tuberculin-negative subjects was higher in cancer patients than in controls within each sex (males 31.3% vs 20.1%, females: 59.2% vs 37.3%) the difference in females being statistically significant ( p < 0.02). Odds ratio for negative tuberculin test was 1.80 and 2.44 for males and females respectively. The results are discussed on the basis of cell-mediated immunity produced by infection with M. tuberculosis and its relations with tumor growth.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Health Sciences, Laboratory of Public Health, University of Patras, P.O.B. 1045, 26110, Patras, Greece

    A. Fragoulia, X. G. Kondakis & I Dimopoulos

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  1. A. Fragoulia
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  2. X. G. Kondakis
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  3. I Dimopoulos
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Fragoulia, A., Kondakis, X.G. & Dimopoulos, I. Is natural infection with M. tuberculosis protective against cancer?. Eur J Epidemiol 5, 234–238 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00156837

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