ReviewInfectious agents and cancer2019
An evaluation of HHV-6 as an etiologic agent in Hodgkin lymphoma and brain cancer using IARC criteria for oncogenicity.
Review in Infectious agents and cancer, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 17 citations in OpenAlex.
- A Viral-Host Immunogenetic Interaction Model in Hodgkin Lymphoma: Co-Association of HHV-6B Infection and IL-18 rs1946518 Polymorphism.Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention : APJCP · 2026Article
- Herpesvirus initiation of dementias and autoimmune diseases.Journal of neurovirology · 2025Review
- Review
- A landscape review with novel criteria to evaluate microbial drivers for cancer: priorities for innovative research targeting excessive cancer mortality in sub-Saharan Africa.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2025Review
- Association between brain cancer immunogenetic profile and in silico immunogenicities of 11 viruses.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Family Herpesviridae and neuroinfections: current status and research in progress.Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz · 2022Review
- The Association of Human Herpesviruses with Malignant Brain Tumor Pathology and Therapy: Two Sides of a Coin.International journal of molecular sciences · 2021Review
- The U94 Gene of Human Herpesvirus 6: A Narrative Review of Its Role and Potential Functions.Cells · 2020Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundHuman herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) is a ubiquitous double-stranded DNA virus that can cause roseola infantum, encephalitis, and seizure disorders. Several studies have shown an association between HHV-6 and cancer but confirmation of an etiologic role is lacking. We reviewed the criteria for viral causation of cancer used by The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) for six oncogenic viruses and applied criteria to published reports of HHV-6 and its association with Hodgkin lymphoma and brain tumors.
methodsOur major criteria for oncogenicity were finding evidence of the virus in every tumor cell and prevention of the tumor by an antiviral vaccine. Our six minor criteria included: 1) suggestive serologic correlation, such as higher virus antibody levels in cases compared to controls; 2) evidence of the virus in some but not all tumor cells, and 3) time space clustering. We focused on Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) as the primary virus for comparison as HHV-6 and EBV are both Herpesviridae, ubiquitous infections, and EBV is well-accepted as a human oncovirus. Particular attention was given to Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and brain cancer as these malignancies have been the most studied.
resultsNo studies reported HHV-6 satisfying either of the major criteria for oncogenicity. Of the minor criteria used by IARC, serologic studies have been paramount in supporting EBV as an oncogenic agent in all EBV-associated tumors, but not for HHV-6 in HL or brain cancer. Clustering of cases was suggestive for both HL and brain cancer and medical intervention suggested by longer survival in patients treated with antiviral agents was reported for brain cancer.
conclusionThere is insufficient evidence to indicate HHV-6 is an etiologic agent with respect to HL and brain cancers. We suggest that methods demonstrating EBV oncogenicity be applied to HHV-6. It is important that one study has found HHV-6 in all cancer cells in oral cancer in a region with elevated HHV-6 antibodies and therefore HHV-6 can still be considered a possible human oncogenic virus.
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