Simian virus 40 is present in most United States human mesotheliomas, but it is rarely present in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Our plain-English summary of Simian virus 40 is present in most United States human mesotheliomas, but it is rarely present in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, by P. Rizzo, M. Carbone, S.G. Fisher, et al (Chest, 1999).

The study

• Authors: P. Rizzo, M. Carbone, S.G. Fisher, C. Matker, L.J. Swinnen, A. Powers, I. Di Resta, S. Alkan, H.I. Pass, R.I. Fisher
• Journal: Chest
• Published: 1999;116(6 Suppl):470S-473S
• Cited by: 63 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

Simian virus 40 (SV40) causes mesotheliomas, osteosarcomas, ependymomas, choroid plexus tumors, and lymphomas in hamsters. In humans, SV40 has been detected in tumors of the first four types. Using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we tested 29 non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (intermediate and high-grade), 25 posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders, and 5 AIDS lymphomas for SV40 DNA. PCR analysis revealed that 3 of 29 lymphomas, 6 of 25 posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders, and 2 of 5 AIDS lymphomas contained SV40 sequences corresponding to the retinoblastoma (RB)-pocket binding domain of SV40 tumor antigen (Tag). However, among positive samples, only one posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder and one AIDS lymphoma contained the SV40 regulatory region, which suggest a higher viral load in these patients. In parallel experiments, 8 of 12 mesotheliomas tested positive for SV40 for both the RB-pocket binding domain of Tag and the SV40 regulatory region. These data confirm the presence of SV40 in most United States mesotheliomas and indicate that in human non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, the prevalence of SV40 is low.

In plain English

This laboratory study looked for DNA of simian virus 40 (SV40) in human tumors. Asbestos was not studied. Using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the authors tested tumor tissue from 29 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients who were not immunocompromised, 25 patients with posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders, 5 AIDS patients with lymphoma, and 12 mesotheliomas. A sensitive test for one part of the virus was positive in 3 of 29 non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, 6 of 25 posttransplant disorders and 2 of 5 AIDS lymphomas. A test for a second region was negative in all three of those lymphomas, positive in 2 of 9 posttransplant samples tested (one negative on the first test) and 1 of 2 AIDS lymphomas. Eight of 12 mesotheliomas were positive for both regions. The authors concluded that SV40 does not appear related to the rise in lymphomas but may be related to mesothelioma development. They cautioned that the small sample may explain the slightly higher rate in immunocompromised patients. Some positive lymphoma results, they said, might reflect virus-carrying immune cells in the tumor rather than the tumor itself.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Laboratory study testing tumor tissue samples for SV40 DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), with confirmation by Southern blot and DNA sequencing
• Who was studied: Frozen tumor samples from 29 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients who were not immunocompromised, 25 patients with posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders, 5 AIDS patients with large cell B-cell lymphoma, and 12 mesotheliomas. The work was done at Loyola University Chicago. The title describes the mesotheliomas as United States cases. Dates and the body site of the mesotheliomas are not given.
• Exposure: Presence of simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA in tumor tissue, detected with primers for the RB-pocket binding domain of SV40 tumor antigen and for the viral regulatory region. No asbestos or fiber exposure was studied.
• Main results:
  • In the non-immunocompromised group, 3 of 29 non-Hodgkin's lymphomas tested positive with the sensitive SV5/SV6 primers.
  • In the immunocompromised group, 6 of 25 posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders and 2 of 5 AIDS lymphomas tested positive. All positive samples were of B-cell lineage.
  • Southern blot hybridization and DNA sequencing confirmed that the amplified material was SV40.
  • When tested for the SV40 regulatory region, all 3 positive non-Hodgkin's lymphomas from the non-immunocompromised group were negative.
  • The regulatory-region test was run on all samples positive in the first test plus three posttransplant samples that were negative in it.
  • In the posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders, 2 of 9 samples tested were positive for the regulatory region. In the AIDS lymphomas, 1 of 2 tested were positive.
  • One posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder and one AIDS lymphoma were positive for both the RB-pocket region and the regulatory region.
  • One additional specimen from an immunocompromised patient was positive for the regulatory region but negative for the RB-pocket region.
  • 8 of 12 mesotheliomas were positive for both the RB-pocket binding domain and the SV40 regulatory region.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that SV40 does not appear to be related to the increased incidence of lymphomas but may be related to mesothelioma development.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The somewhat higher rate of SV40-positive tumors in immunocompromised patients may be due to the small sample size. It may also be due to most of these patients being organ transplant recipients exposed to blood products and donor organs.
  • Some positive results may come from SV40-positive mononuclear phagocytes within the tumor tissue rather than from virus associated with the tumor itself.
  • Because transformed cells may lose SV40 over time, the number of SV40-positive tumors could be underestimated when advanced tumors are tested.

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Mesothelioma.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Mesothelioma, SV40.

Related studies

• Human mesotheliomas contain the simian virus-40 regulatory region and large tumor antigen DNA sequences — H.I. Pass, J.S. Donington, et al. (1998)
• Asbestos, Simian virus 40 and malignant mesothelioma — S.C. Stenton (1997)
• New molecular and epidemiological issues in mesothelioma: role of SV40 — M. Carbone, S. Fisher, et al. (1999)
• SV40 and the pathogenesis of mesothelioma — P. Rizzo, M. Bocchetta, et al. (2001)
• Association of SV40 with human tumours — B. Jasani, A. Cristaudo, et al. (2001)
• Simian virus 40 sequences in blood specimens from healthy individuals of Casale Monferrato, an industrial town with a history of asbestos pollution — C. Pancaldi, V. Balatti, et al. (2009)

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