title: Identification of the novel KI and WU polyomaviruses in human tonsils.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Three novel polyomaviruses have been recently discovered: KI, WU and MC polyomaviruses. Their role in human pathology is debated while tissue tropism and site of latency remain unknown.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To test the hypothesis that KI, WU and MC polyomaviruses can infect human tonsils.
  
  
  METHODS
  Archival paraffin-embedded tonsils from 91 patients affected by different tonsil diseases were screened by polymerase chain reaction to detect viral DNA of KIV, WUV, MCV, BKV and JCV. Phylogenetic and evolutionary analysis of the identified polyomaviruses was carried out.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 91 tested specimens, 11 contained KIV DNA (12%), 4 WUV DNA (4.4%), 5 BKV DNA (5.5%). MCV and JCV were not detected. Phylogenetic analysis showed that KIVs identified in tonsils fall into a clade distinct from that containing KIVs isolated from respiratory secretions, respiratory tissue and feces. Moreover, four positively selected sites (4.5% of t-Ag sites) were found under strong positive selection (omega=11.4), with posterior probabilities above 0.99. All the sites were located in the N-terminal region of the small t antigen.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that the novel KI and WU polyomaviruses can infect human tonsils. Future studies are needed to define their role in tonsil diseases.
authors: Laboratory of Molecular Virology, University Hospital Tor Vergata, Viale Oxford, 81-00133 Rome, Italy.
authors: Muhammed
authors: M
authors: Babakir-Mina
authors: Massimo
authors: M
authors: Ciccozzi
authors: Daniela
authors: D
authors: Bonifacio
authors: Massimiliano
authors: M
authors: Bergallo
authors: Cristina
authors: C
authors: Costa
authors: Rossana
authors: R
authors: Cavallo
authors: Luigi
authors: L
authors: Di Bonito
authors: Carlo Federico
authors: CF
authors: Perno
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Ciotti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000821:virology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D011120:Polyomavirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D027601:Polyomavirus Infections / Q000821:virology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral