The high incidence of JC virus infection in urothelial carcinoma tissue in Taiwan

Abstract

Human polyomaviruses, JC virus (JCV) and BK virus (BKV), usually remain latent in kidney and urothelial tissue after primary infection. Infection with human polyomavirus has still not been correlated conclusively with malignancy of kidney and urothelial tissue. The present study investigated further the possible relationship between JCV/BKV infection and urothelial carcinoma. Tissue samples were examined from 33 urothelial carcinomas and 5 renal cell carcinomas for JCV/BKV infection, using nested PCR with primers common to both JCV and BKV. The viral genotypes were further verified by endonuclease digestion and DNA sequencing following the PCR. In addition, immunohistochemistry and Western blotting were also performed to detect viral large tumor protein (LT) and the late capsid protein (VP1) in the tissue samples. The results from nested PCR showed that 90.1% (30/33) of the urothelial carcinomas samples and all of the renal cell carcinomas samples (5/5) were JCV DNA positive. Both archetypal and re-arranged JCV genotypes were detected. On the other hand, BKV DNA was detected in only one (3%) of the urothelial carcinoma tissue samples. The immunohistochemical results showed that 30% (10/33) of urothelial carcinoma tissues was stained positive for large tumor antigen (LT). However, the structural protein VP1 was not detectable in any of the tissue samples examined. The present study demonstrated that JCV is highly prevalent in urothelial carcinoma tissue as is the expression of large tumor antigen. Therefore, the findings support the hypothesis that JCV infection is associated with urothelial carcinoma.

Epstein-Barr Virus and Human Adenovirus Viremia in Renal Tumors Is Associated with Histological Features of Malignancy

“…The strong association was proven only for human papilloma virus (HPV) and penile cancer risk [ 10 ]. However, more and more research shows a possible link between viral infections and urothelial cancer [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ], prostate cancer [ 15 , 16 , 17 ] or testicular cancer [ 18 , 19 ]. Furthermore, the evidence behind the role of latent viral infections in carcinogenesis of RCC is growing.…”

Reply to: High-grade urothelial carcinoma in a kidney transplant recipient after JC virus nephropathy: The first evidence of JC virus as a potential oncovirus in bladder cancer

“…1 In Taiwan and China, the upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UT-UC) is a relatively prevalent disease and the risk of post-KT UC increases up to 31-fold compared with general population. 2,3 Positive JC virus DNA was reported up to 90.1% using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis, whereas immunohistochemical staining also revealed 30% large T antigen expression 4…”

Evaluating Weight of Evidence in the Mystery of Balkan Endemic Nephropathy

“…Analogy AA definitively linked to the CHN/AAN cases in Belgium (74)(75)(76) and Taiwan (88,95,96) that are very clinically similar, if not identical, to BEN Adverse renal effects have been observed in laboratory animals administered OTA; there is no human disease similar to BEN that has definitively been linked to OTA exposure (7,17,88,158) Benzo[a]pyrene shown to cause liver and renal cancer in mice (145) Certain viruses have been linked to urothelial carcinoma (147) areas make it unlikely that genetics play a key role in BEN development. (8,80,81)…”

“…(146) Similarly, certain viruses have been linked to urothelial carcinoma. (147) As these diseases have some, but not all, features similar to BEN, and effects are not similar across all PAHs and viruses, both categories receive a "moderate" score for analogy.…”