Original scientific paper
The Role of Polio-Vaccine in Pleural Mesothelioma – An Epidemiological Observation
Marko Šarić
Katja Ćurin
Veda M. Varnai
Abstract
From the Croatian Cancer Registry (period 1991–1997) 194 malignant pleural mesothelioma patients were collected.
According to participation in polio vaccination mass campaign in 1961 that covered the entire Croatian population aged
3 months to 20 years, mesothelioma patients were divided in vaccinated (N=58), and non-vaccinated (N=136) subjects.
Significantly higher percentage of those with a history of occupational exposure to asbestos was found in vaccinated
(79%) compared to non-vaccinated group (63%). This is the opposite to what would be expected if potential SV40 contamination
of polio vaccine used had a causative role in the development of the tumour. On the other hand, shorter latency period
reflected by very high percentage of 45-year-old or younger mesothelioma patients in vaccinated group (15 out of 58),
with all of them having a history of occupational asbestos exposure, raises a question for a possible enhancing effect of the
vaccine used to asbestos exposure, if it was contaminated with SV40.
Keywords
poliovirus vaccine; Simian virus 40; mesothelioma; pleura; asbestos; occupational exposure
Hrčak ID:
27192
URI
Publication date:
7.7.2008.
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