Table 6.12.
Examples of non-infectious diseases where infectious agents have been identified or postulated as contributory causes
| Disease | Proposed infectious agent | Vaccine status | Causal link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cervical cancer | HPV | Licensed vaccine | Established |
| Gastric ulcer disease Gastric cancer |
Helicobacter pylori | In development | Established |
| Systemic lupus erythematosus | Trypanosoma cruzi | In development | Speculative and indirect (via the formation of anti-P and antiphospholipid antibodies) |
| Glandular fever Burkitt's lymphoma Nasopharyngeal carcinoma Multiple sclerosis |
EBV | In development | Established Strong Established Strong |
| Hepatocellular carcinoma | HBV HCV |
HBV – licensed vaccine HCV – in development |
Established Strong |
| Kaposi's sarcoma | HHV-8 (in patients with AIDS) | No candidate vaccine | Strong |
| Foetal prematurity | Bacterial vaginosis | No candidate vaccine | Established |
| Congenital mental retardation | CMV | In development | Established |
| Asthma exacerbations | Rhinovirus | No candidate vaccine | Established |
| Diabetes mellitus (type I) | Fungal infection/mycotoxins | No candidate vaccine | Speculative |
| Alzheimer's disease/dementia/cognitive impairment | HSV-1 Helicobacter pylori Picornavirus Borna disease virus Chlamydia pneumoniae |
HSV – in development Helicobacter pylori – in development Others – no candidate vaccine |
Speculative |
| Schizophrenia | CMV Toxoplasma gondii HHV-6 |
CMV – in development Others – no candidate vaccine |
Speculative |
| Atherosclerosis | Chlamydia pneumoniae | No candidate vaccine | Speculative |
| Hypertension | HHV-8 | No candidate vaccine | Weak/unlikely |
| Obesity/weight gain | Adenovirus-36 | No candidate vaccine | Speculative, possibly geographical |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | EBV HHV-6 |
EBV – in development HHV-6 – no candidate vaccine |
Speculative |
| Crohn's disease | Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis | No candidate vaccine | Conflicting evidence |
HPV, human papillomavirus; EBV, Epstein–Barr virus; HBV, hepatitis B virus; HCV, hepatitis C virus; HHV, human herpesvirus; AIDS, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; CMV, cytomegalovirus; HSV, herpes simplex virus. Every effort has been made to verify the information in this table. The information included is not meant to be exhaustive but is intended to provide an overview of the subject matter.