Epidemiology

British Journal of Cancer (2007) 97, 992–994. doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6603983 www.bjcancer.com
Published online 18 September 2007

Adenovirus DNA is detected at increased frequency in Guthrie cards from children who develop acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

B Gustafsson1, W Huang2, G Bogdanovic3, F Gauffin1, A Nordgren4, G Talekar2, D A Ornelles5 and L R Gooding2

  1. 1Department of Pediatrics, Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
  2. 2Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
  3. 3Department of Clinical Microbiology, Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
  4. 4Department of Clinical Genetics, Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
  5. 5Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA

Correspondence: Associate Professor B Gustafsson, Department of Pediatrics, B57, Karolinska University Hospital-Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, S-141 86 Stockholm, Sweden; E-mail: britt.gustafsson@ki.se

Received 16 May 2007; Revised 17 August 2007; Accepted 17 August 2007; Published online 18 September 2007.

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Abstract

Epidemiological evidence suggests that childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) may be initiated by an in infection in utero. Adenovirus DNA was detected in 13 of 49 neonatal blood spots from ALL patients but only in 3 of 47 controls (P=0.012) suggesting a correlation between prenatal adenovirus infection and the development of ALL

Keywords:

ALL, adenovirus, human, prenatal infection, Guthrie cards