We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App




Exposure to Human Cytomegalovirus Increases Aggressiveness of Glioblastoma and Predicts a Poorer Outcome of the Disease

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 19 Dec 2019
Glioblastoma patients who tested positive for antibodies indicating exposure to human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) had more aggressive tumors and poorer prognosis than patients without anti-HCMV antibodies.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary tumor of the central nervous system and is almost always fatal. More...
The aggressive invasion of glioblastoma cells into the surrounding normal brain makes complete surgical removal impossible, significantly increases resistance to the standard therapy regimen, and virtually assures tumor recurrence. Treatment of glioblastoma usually comprises surgical removal of the tumor followed by radiation treatment and chemotherapy using the drug temozolomide (TMZ). However, the penetration of the tumor into adjacent brain tissue prevents the surgical removal of all tumor cells, which usually develop resistance to TMZ.

HCMV is a human herpesvirus that has been detected in GBM and is associated with worse prognosis in patients with the disease. The effects of HCMV systemic infection on survival in GBM patients, however, are largely unknown. In this regard, investigators at the University of Cincinnati (OH, USA) and their collaborators sought to determine the association between levels of anti-HCMV antibodies at time of GBM diagnosis and survival via a retrospective cohort study of GBM patients.

The investigators analyzed plasma from 188 GBM patients by testing for anti-HCMV immunoglobulin (Ig)G antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. HCMV IgG seriological status was evaluated with respect to each patient’s progression-free and overall survival (OS) via log-rank and multivariable Cox regression analysis.

Results revealed that 97 of the 188 patients (52%) were anti-HCMV IgG seropositive. Individuals who tested positive for HCMV exposure lived an average of 404 days after their cancer diagnosis compared to an average of 530 days for patients who had never been infected by HCMV.

"We believe that human cytomegalovirus is a possible contributor to the aggressiveness of human glioblastoma tumors," said senior author Dr. Charles Cobbs, director of the Ben & Catherine Ivy Center for Advanced Brain Tumor Treatment at the Swedish Neuroscience Institute (Seattle, WA, USA). "These are highly malignant tumors, and there is significant evidence, albeit controversial, that HCMV is present in a high percentage of these tumors."

The results obtained during the current study suggest that having a prior infection and a presumed latent infection with HCMV may somehow predispose patients to have a more aggressive course with glioblastoma. "This could potentially be due to either a viral infection of the tumor itself, as shown with a mouse model from our collaborators at Harvard Medical School (Cambridge, MA, USA), or potentially systemic effects of reactivation of the virus during radiation and chemotherapy, which in and of itself could be an independent factor in promoting encephalitis and other life-threatening complications," said Dr. Cobbs.

The glioblastoma-HCMV study was published in the September 7, 2019, online edition of the journal Neuro-Oncology Advances.

Related Links:
University of Cincinnati
Swedish Neuroscience Institute
Harvard Medical School



New
Gold Member
Cardiovascular Risk Test
Metabolic Syndrome Array I & II
Collection and Transport System
PurSafe Plus®
New
ESR Analyzer
TEST1 2.0
New
Laboratory Software
ArtelWare
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Hematology

view channel
Image: New research points to protecting blood during radiation therapy (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Pioneering Model Measures Radiation Exposure in Blood for Precise Cancer Treatments

Scientists have long focused on protecting organs near tumors during radiotherapy, but blood — a vital, circulating tissue — has largely been excluded from dose calculations. Each blood cell passing through... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: The VENTANA HER2 (4B5) test is now CE-IVDR approved (Photo courtesy of Roche)

Companion Diagnostic Test Identifies HER2-Ultralow Breast Cancer and Biliary Tract Cancer Patients

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Europe, with more than 564,000 new cases and 145,000 deaths annually. Metastatic breast cancer is rising in younger populations and remains the leading cause... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: An adult fibrosarcoma case report has shown the importance of early diagnosis and targeted therapy (Photo courtesy of Sultana and Sailaja/Oncoscience)

Accurate Pathological Analysis Improves Treatment Outcomes for Adult Fibrosarcoma

Adult fibrosarcoma is a rare and highly aggressive malignancy that develops in connective tissue and often affects the limbs, trunk, or head and neck region. Diagnosis is complex because tumors can mimic... Read more

Technology

view channel
Image: Conceptual design of the CORAL capsule for microbial sampling in the small intestine (H. Mohammed et al., Device (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.device.2025.100904)

Coral-Inspired Capsule Samples Hidden Bacteria from Small Intestine

The gut microbiome has been linked to conditions ranging from immune disorders to mental health, yet conventional stool tests often fail to capture bacterial populations in the small intestine.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.