title: Human endogenous retrovirus (HERV)-K transcripts in germ cell and trophoblastic tumours.
abstract: Prompted by the observation of retroviral particle formation in teratocarcinoma cell lines and the consistent finding of antibodies against Gag and Env proteins encoded by human endogenous retrovirus (HERV)-K genomes in the sera of patients with classical seminoma, we studied ovarian and testicular germ cell tumours, their precursor lesions, dysgenetic gonads, and trophoblast lesions for expression of HERV-K sequences by in situ hybridization using radioactive and non-radioactive probes. HERV-K transcripts were detected in all testicular and ovarian germ cell tumours with the exception of teratomas and spermatocytic seminomas. HERV-K expression was also common to testicular carcinoma in situ as well as gonocytes of dysgenetic gonads. Among gestational trophoblastic lesions, HERV-K expression was regularly found in choriocarcinomas, but not in molar lesions. The patterns of HERV-K expression suggest a common molecular pathogenesis of most germ cell tumour entities and malignant gestational trophoblastic disease. They furthermore support the concept of carcinoma in situ as a precursor lesion common to most testicular germ cell neoplasms. The detection of HERV-K gene products in body fluids and tissues may aid diagnosis and monitoring of germ cell tumours and related lesions.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Pathologie, Universitätskrankenhaus Eppendorf, Hamburg.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Herbst
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sauter
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kühler-Obbarius
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Löning
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mueller-Lantzsch
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D018237:Germinoma / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000821:virology*; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018243:Teratocarcinoma / Q000821:virology*; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000821:virology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured