title: Human polyomaviruses and other human viruses in neuroendocrine tumors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  While the association of the Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV) with the neuroendocrine Merkel cell carcinomas (MCC) has been shown recently, it is unknown whether other human polyomaviruses (HPyV) may be associated with neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) of distinct entities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using novel, highly sensitive polyomavirus genotyping assays, we evaluated the prevalence of eight distinct HPyVs in a selection of 51 NETs from different entities. In addition, we analyzed these NETs for the presence of DNA from 12 adeno-associated virus (AAV) genotypes, adeno virus-5, 27 mucosal human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes, hepatitis B (HBV), 8 human herpes viruses (HHV), and xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV).
  
  
  RESULTS
  43 of the 50 (86%) NETs were positive for the DNA integrity control. Of these, 2 of 3 MCCs (67%) were positive for MCV. NETs from other entities, however, were negative for all HPyVs. Only a small subset of lung and appendix NETs were positive for EBV, HHV-6, and -7.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While the association of MCV with MCC was confirmed, other human viruses could not be identified as potentially causative agents of other NETs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that the human viruses tested for in this study do not play a comparable role in NETs like the polyomavirus MCV in MCC.
authors: Research Program Infection and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 242, Heidelberg, Germany. markus.schmitt@dkfz.de
authors: Markus
authors: M
authors: Schmitt
authors: Daniela
authors: D
authors: Höfler
authors: Nadezda
authors: N
authors: Koleganova
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Pawlita