Dear Colleagues,
In response to the mail sent by "Steve J. Upton" <coccidia at ksu.edu>, I can
add the following comments :
As probably many of you know, there is a lot of description of so-called
'parasite-associated cancers'. But a probable (as most of the descriptive
papers, especially in Veterinary Medicine, are just about one or few
cases.. so this doesn't reach any statistical significance !!) association
does not mean
a CAUSAL link !
In fact such a link is well documented only for some examples, especially
the squamous carcinoma, in the bladder wall, associated with the parasite
Schistosoma haematobium. There is a lot of publications on the involvement
of the immune systems (ask Prof. James M. Gentile in Michigan, USA for his
personal publications on the subject : gentile at hope.cit.hope.edu)
and of chromosomal instability (ask Prof. Miriam P. Rosin at the Division
of Epidemiology, Biometry and Occupational Oncology in the British Columbia
Cancer Agency in Vancouver, Canada) in this pathogenesis.
See also the immunohistochemical investigation of p53 and cerB-2 markers
made by Kamel et al. (Virchows Arch. 1994, 424: 349-355).
I think that the other parasite-based cancers are not very well established
(that means described not only on a Pathological basis but also on a strong
Epidemiological background, as for the schistosomiasis-associated bladder
cancer in the Egyptian focus), but I will appreciate any contradictive
opinion on this subject ?
I must also say that, at least in the case of a very chronic fungal disease
(Chromoblastomycosis), there is also a similar descriptive analysis
squamous cell carcinoma in Mycology. Give me your adress, Steve, and I will
send to you the few papers (including one from my ex-staff in Madagascar)
on the subject.
And of course I agree that a moderator is urgently needed for this
discussion list ! Best regards for all -
Philippe Esterre (DVM, PhD Parasitol., MSc Med. Mycol., MSc. Ecol.)
************************************************
THE MALARDE INSTITUTE, 1949 - 1999 :
50 YEARS AT THE SERVICE OF HEALTH IN POLYNESIA !
************************************************
Dr. Philippe ESTERRE - Head of Immunology Unit
Institut de Recherches Médicales L. Malardé BP30
98713 - Papeete (TAHITI / French Polynesia)
Phone: 689 41 64 67 - Fax: 689 43 15 90
E-mail : esterre at malarde.pf
