Intestinal parasites in Kaposi sarcoma patients in Uganda: indication of shared risk factors or etiologic association
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 6, 2026

An In Vitro Model for Studying Cellular Transformation by Kaposi Sarcoma Herpesvirus
Published on: August 25, 2017
Cynthia J Lin1, Edward Katongole-Mbidde, Tadeos Byekwaso
1Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Abstract:
Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is endemic in Uganda and shares several risk factors with intestinal parasite infestation, including rural residence, contact with surface water, and walking barefoot, however, the significance of these ecologic relationships is unknown. We investigated these relationships among 1,985 Ugandan patients with cancer. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated using logistic regression. KS patients had higher carriage of Strongyloides stercoralis larvae (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.2-3.7) and lower carriage of hookworm ova (0.6, 0.4-1.0) and Entamoeba coli cysts (0.7, 0.5-1.0), after adjusting for region of residence, age, gender, and diagnosis. While our findings may be due to confounding, they are compatible with shared risk factors or etiological association between parasites and KS, and warrant well-designed follow up studies.
Related Concept Videos
Amebiasis
Giardiasis
Fungal Phylum Microsporidia
Cryptococcal Meningitis
Toxoplasmosis
American Trypanosomiasis

