Immunologic evidence suggesting a viral etiology of human osteosarcoma

Abstract

Sera from osteosarcoma patients were used in an indirect immunofluorescence assay to detect sarcoma‐specific antigen(s) in human osterosarcomas. Fifty‐seven of 58 of these sera and two of 24 normal sera reacted with osteosarcoma tissue as demonstrated by the fluorescence of both cell membrane and cytoplasm. Human osteosarcoma sera also detected sarcoma‐specific antigen(s) in six of seven sarcomas induced in hamsters inoculated at birth with cell‐free extracts of human osteosarcomas. Hamster carcinomas, reticular tissue tumors, and normal tissues failed to react with human osteosarcoma sera. The presence of human sarcoma‐specific antigen(s) in the sarcomas of six hamsters treated with human osteosarcoma extracts suggests that these tumors were induced by a human osteosarcoma virus.

Detection by immunofluorescence of intracytoplasmic antigens in cell lines derived from human sarcomas

“…The data would not, however, be inconsistent with the sarcoma-related antigen having a virusassociated candidacy. In this context it is noteworthy that such an association has been claimed for many of the antigenic systems purported to have been demonstrated in human sarcomas (Morton and Malmgren, 1968;Eilber and Morton, 1970b;Priori et al, 1971b;Giraldo et al, 1971;Reilly et al, 1972). In addition to electron microscopic evidence for the involvement of virus particles morphologically similar to the avian and murine sarcoma viruses with cultured human sarcoma cells (Hall et al, 1970;McAllister et al, 1972) cell-free induction of antigen by filtrates in normal human indicator cells has been reported (Morton et al, 1969;Giraldo et al, 1971).…”

Biomarkers for Bone Tumors: Discovery from Genomics and Proteomics Studies and Their Challenges

“…The precise etiology of osteosarcoma is essentially unknown. Several reports, which were published as early as 1972, had already suggested that viruses such as human osteosarcoma virus (53) and Moloney murine sarcoma virus (54,55) can induce osteosarcoma. Other possible causes or initiating factors of osteosarcoma include chemical agents and radiation (56).…”

Contrasting increased levels of serum amyloid A in patients with three different bone sarcomas: An indicator of tumor malignancy?

“…This tumor arises in the metaphysis of a long bone from mesenchymal cells and usually characterized by osteoblastic differentiation of the neoplastic cells . The etiology of OS is essentially unknown although results that were published as early as in 1972 had already suggested that viruses such as human OS virus and Moloney murine sarcoma virus could induce OS. Similar to PS, this neoplasm is typically aggressive and distant metastases especially to the lungs are a common occurrence .…”