Detection of human cytomegalovirus genome and gene products in central nervous system tumours.
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) genome and related proteins have been reported in a great proportion of malignant gliomas. However, these results are unexpected since HCMV is not known as an oncogenic virus. By immunohistochemistry (with an anti-IE1 monoclonal antibody) and in situ hybridisation (with biotinylated DNA probes) on tissue microarrays and frozen sections, we investigated a French series of central nervous system (CNS) tumours, including 97 glioblastomas. In 10 cases of glioblastoma, rare astrocyte-like cells, admixed with tumour cells, stained positively for HCMV and in one case a doubtful staining of rare cells was noticed. This may indicate a reactivation of the virus under local immunosuppression but none of the cases of CNS tumours (n=132) contained HCMV genomes and/or proteins in a significant proportion of tumour cells. Our results strongly suggest that HCMV is unlikely to be implicated in the development of human malignant gliomas, at least in French cases.
Sabatier
J
J
Department of Neurosurgery, Purpan Hospital, Place Baylak, 31059 Toulouse Cedex, France.
Uro-Coste
E
E
Pommepuy
I
I
Labrousse
F
F
Allart
S
S
Trémoulet
M
M
Delisle
M B
MB
Brousset
P
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016543:Central Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000821:virology*; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D016679:Genome, Viral; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
D004279:DNA, Viral