Adenovirus DNA in Guthrie cards from children who develop acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL).
BACKGROUND
In search of a proposed viral aetiology of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), the common species C adenoviruses were analysed in Guthrie cards.


METHODS
Guthrie cards from 243 children who later developed ALL and from 486 matched controls were collected and analysed by nested polymerase chain reaction for the presence of adenovirus DNA.


RESULTS
Adenovirus DNA was reliably detected from only two subjects, both of whom developed ALL.


CONCLUSIONS
Adenovirus DNA is detected in Guthrie card samples at too low a frequency to reveal an association between adenovirus and the development of leukaemia.
Honkaniemi
E
E
Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital-Huddinge, CLINTEC, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Talekar
G
G
Huang
W
W
Bogdanovic
G
G
Forestier
E
E
von Doblen
U
U
Engvall
M
M
Ornelles
D A
DA
Gooding
L R
LR
Gustafsson
B
B
D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D000257:Adenoviridae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D011379:Prognosis
D004279:DNA, Viral