Unusually high incidence of polyomavirus JC infection in the higher grade of colorectal cancer tissues in Taiwan

Abstract

Introduction The human JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) has been detected in colorectal cancer (CRC) tissues and is suggested to contribute to CRC tumorigenesis. The rearrangement of the JCPyV regulatory region is supposedly associated with CRC development. The progression of CRC involves the stepwise accumulation of mutations. The large tumor antigen (LT) of JCPyV can trigger uncontrolled cell cycle progression by targeting oncogenes, and tumor suppressor genes, and causing chromosome instability. Few studies have focused on the presence of JCPyV DNA in the higher grade of CRC tissues. Methods We collected 95 tissue blocks from samples of stages I, II, III, and IV CRC. Nested PCR targeting the regulatory region of the viral genome was performed to determine the presence of JCPyV DNA in the various stages of colorectal cancer tissues. Results The nested PCR results showed that the positive rate of JCPyV DNA increased with the progression of CRC stages. The archetypal-like, non-rearrangement genotype of JCPyV with subtle mutations was the major genotype found in CRC samples. Conclusions This finding in our study suggests that there may be an association between JCPyV and CRC progression.

Case-control study: Unveiling human polyomaviruses and papillomavirus in Egyptian colorectal cancer patients

“…It is widely recognized that certain oncogenic viruses have the potential to contribute to the development of human cancers. Among these viruses, human papillomavirus (HPVs) and the four human polyomaviruses (SV40, BKPyV, JCPyV, and MCPyV) have been firmly established as being linked to human tumor formation [ 6 – 11 ]. However, the existing literature on the role of these viruses in the onset or progression of colon cancer is limited and contentious [ 8 , 12 ].…”

“…Samples that tested positive for HPVs underwent genotyping using the QIAGEN PCR kit, following the methodology outlined by Nishiwaki et al [ 11 ]. The DNA amplification process involved an initial denaturation step at 95°C for 15 minutes, followed by 40 cycles of denaturation at 94°C for 30 seconds, annealing at 65°C for 90 seconds, and extension at 72°C for 90 seconds.…”

Polyomavirus Wakes Up and Chooses Neurovirulence

“…On the other hand, another study, which examined JCPyV seropositivity rates in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients during COVID-19, discovered that conversion rates declined during lock down [ 74 ]. Other studies have found an increasing prevalence of JCPyV LTAg in colorectal cancers [ 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 ]. Our laboratory has demonstrated that MuPyV can cause systemic infection after oral gavage inoculation (AE Lukacher, unpublished observations).…”