Epstein-Barr virus infection and cervical cancer risk: a meta-analysis

Purpose of investigation: Cervical cancer is the fourth most common malignancy in women and the third leading cause of cancer death among females in less developed countries. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), as an ubiquitous oncogenic herpes virus has been suggested functioning in several cancers, but its role in cervical cancer as a possible viral cofactor remains a controversial topic. Materials and Methods: The authors searched all English reports on studies for the association between EBV infection and cervical cancer using PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and all Chinese reports were identified manually and online using China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). The strict selection criteria and exclusion criteria were determined. An unconditional logistic regression model was used to analyze potential parameters related to the EBV prevalence. Odd ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled to assess the strength of association between EBV infection and risk of cervical cancer. Publication bias was estimated using funnel plots. Results: A total of 21 studies with 1,260 patients were included in the present analysis.The overall prevalence of EBV infection in cervical cancer was 17.00% with 95% CI of 16.00-19.00%. In the statistical analysis, EBV infection has a stronger association with risk of cervical cancer (OR = 2.94, 95% CI = 1.65-5.22). Conclusion: The EBV infection has a tighter link with increased risk of cervical cancer.

Epstein-Barr virus; Prevalence; Cancer risk; Cervical cancer.

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