SV40, JC and BK expression in tissue, urine and blood samples from patients with malignant and nonmalignant pleural disease.
BACKGROUND
Polyomaviruses are expressed in both human tumors and immunodepressed patients. Malignant and nonmalignant pleural effusions create an environment that could favor the expression of opportunistic viral infections. We studied if SV40, JC, and BK viral DNA can be amplified from biopsies obtained from different pleural diseases.


METHODS
DNA was extracted from mesotheliomas (MM), nonspecific inflammatory and tubercular pleural biopsies, blood and urinary sediments from patients with MM, and pleural effusion cytological specimens. SV40, JC and BK viral early regions were amplified by PCR and analyzed by Southern Blot hybridization with specific probes.


RESULTS
SV40 was positive in 9/23 MM, 5/18 tubercular and 1/7 nonspecific inflammatory biopsies, and 5/12 pleural effusion cytological specimens. JC was positive in 2/23 MM and in 7/15 urinary sediments. All blood samples were negative and BK was also negative in all samples.


CONCLUSIONS
Tissue specific factors, characteristic of MM and TB, may contribute to expression of SV40 in these diseases.
Strizzi
L
L
Gabriele D'Annunzio University, Parma, Italy.
Vianale
G
G
Giuliano
M
M
Sacco
R
R
Tassi
F
F
Chiodera
P
P
Casalini
P
P
Procopio
A
A
D001739:BK Virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007577:JC Virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000652:urine / Q000821:virology*; D010995:Pleural Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000652:urine / Q000821:virology*; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000821:virology; D016066:Pleural Effusion, Malignant / Q000821:virology; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000652:urine / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013539:Simian virus 40 / Q000302:isolation & purification*
D004279:DNA, Viral