title: Five DNA tumor viruses undetectable in human retinoblastomas.
abstract: Retinoblastoma (RB) is a childhood eye cancer that arises when a retinal cell lacks a functional RB gene. Recent data indicate the transforming proteins of adenovirus, papillomavirus, and the polyomaviruses BK and JC all can bind to the product of the RB gene. Furthermore, adenovirus 12, JC virus, and simian virus 40 are able to induce RB-like tumors in rodents. In view of these findings, 50 human RBs were tested for the presence of five human DNA tumor viruses: adenovirus 12, BK virus, JC virus, and human papillomaviruses 16 and 18. Using the polymerase chain reaction, no viral sequences were detected in 50 RB DNAs. These data provide no evidence that these viruses have an etiologic role in human RB.
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Genetics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown 02129.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marcus
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Albert
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bernards
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D015342:DNA Probes; D004263:DNA Tumor Viruses / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D005134:Eye Neoplasms / Q000382:microbiology*; D016161:Genes, Retinoblastoma / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009858:Oncogenic Viruses / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012175:Retinoblastoma / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D015342:DNA Probes; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm