High prevalence of serum antibodies reacting with simian virus 40 capsid protein mimotopes in patients affected by malignant pleural mesothelioma

Abstract

Human malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is considered a rare tumor, but recent estimations indicate that one-quarter million people will die of this neoplasm in Europe in the next three decades. The mineral asbestos is considered the main causative agent of this neoplasm. MPM is largely unresponsive to conventional chemotherapy/radiotherapy. In addition to asbestos exposure, genetic predisposition to asbestos carcinogenesis and to simian virus (SV) 40 infection has also been suggested. SV40 is a DNA tumor virus found in some studies to be associated at high prevalence with MPM. SV40 sequences have also been detected, although at a lower prevalence than in MPM, in blood specimens from healthy donors. However, some studies have failed to reveal SV40 footprints in MPM and its association with this neoplasm. These conflicting results indicate the need for further investigations with new approaches. We report on the presence of antibodies in serum samples from patients affected by MPM that specifically react with two different SV40 mimotopes. The two SV40 peptides used in indirect ELISAs correspond to viral capsid proteins. ELISA with the two SV40 mimotopes gave overlapping results. Our data indicate that in serum samples from MPM-affected patients (n = 97), the prevalence of antibodies against SV40 viral capsid protein antigens is significantly higher (26%, P = 0.043) than in the control group (15%) represented by healthy subjects (n = 168) with the same median age (66 y) and sex. Our results suggest that SV40 is associated with a subset of MPM and circulates in humans.antibody | neoplasia

Pharmacological targeting of p53 through RITA is an effective antitumoral strategy for malignant pleural mesothelioma

“…Moreover, some studies indicate a possible role of the simian virus (SV)40, which could act as a co-carcinogen of asbestos in mesothelioma development. 36 This could represent yet another mechanism of p53 inactivation through the interaction with the SV40 large T antigen. 37 Therefore, restoring p53 activity in mesothelioma, through direct pharmacological targeting, could be an effective antitumoral approach.…”

Serum IgG Antibodies from Pregnant Women Reacting to Mimotopes of Simian Virus 40 Large T Antigen, the Viral Oncoprotein

“…Samples were from our serum collections (23, 25, 27, 28). They were collected from pregnant women ( n  = 134) and non-pregnant women ( n  = 180) with a similar age.…”

Serum biomarkers of polyomavirus infection and risk of lung cancer in never smokers

“…We have not included measurement of polyomavirus Simian virus 40 (SV 40) seroprevalence in our study. Simian virus 40 seroprevalence has been reported to be anywhere between 9 and 12.7% in the general population and higher at 26% in patients with malignant mesothelioma in some studies (Poulin and DeCaprio, 2006; Mazzoni et al , 2012; Comar et al , 2014). However, other studies with conflicting results have shown that this low level seroprevalnce to SV40 is actually an artefact due to cross-reactivity with other related human polyomaviruses such as BKV and JCV (Poulin and DeCaprio, 2006; Kjaerheim et al , 2007; Shah, 2007).…”