title: Evidence of multiple infectious agents in mycosis fungoides lesions.
abstract: The etiology of mycosis fungoides (MF) remains to be determined. Several studies have proposed a viral etiology with controversial results. In this case-control study we investigated the presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and the debated presence of Human T-cell lymphotrophic virus I (HTLV-I) sequences, by polymerase chain reaction on nucleic acid extracts from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded skin biopsies. Moreover, by a multivariate approach we analyzed in the same case-control study also the contribution of two previously examined pathogens: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb). Significant differences in the frequency of infectious agents in cases and controls were detected for Bb, HTLV-I and EBV. In MF patients we found the concurrent presence of two or three of these pathogen sequences in 21 out of 83 cases, but only in 1 out of 83 healthy controls. Our results suggest that the persistence of multiple infectious agents may cause a long-term antigenic stimulation contributing to the malignant transformation of T lymphocytes, especially when associated with HTLV-I like sequences. However, these infectious agents do not seem to have effects on disease progression.
authors.affiliation: ACADEM Department, Unit of Dermatology, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonin
authors.forename: Stanislava Miertusova
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Tothova
authors.forename: Renzo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barbazza
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brunetti
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stanta
authors.forename: Giusto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Trevisan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D025065:Borrelia burgdorferi / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009182:Mycosis Fungoides / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral