title: Detection of herplex simplex virus-1 and -2 in cardiac myxomas.
abstract: The etiology of sporadic cardiac myxomas remains elusive. The tendency for these lesions to recur following resection, their immunopathological characteristics, along with their histological and molecular profile, may implicate the presence of an infective agent in this type of tumor. In this study, we investigated the presence of herpes simplex virus (HSV) DNA in a cohort of cardiac myxomas in a tertiary referral centre. Twenty-nine formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) sporadic cardiac myxomas were obtained, 17 of which were shown to be informative. These were compared to 19 macroscopically and microscopically normal heart tissue specimens. The detection of HSV-1 and -2 genomic sequences was achieved with the use of a combined nested PCR-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism methodology. The presence of HSV-1 and/or -2 DNA was demonstrated in 6 of 17 (35%) informative sporadic cardiac myxomas, whereas no HSV DNA was detected in normal heart tissues (P < 0.01). The existence of HSV-1/2 DNA in sporadic cardiac myxomas, along with its absence from normal heart tissues, reinforces the possibility that HSV infection might be involved in the development of these lesions. Our findings raise the point of anti-HSV medication postsurgically with a potential benefit in reducing the rate of recurrences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Pateras
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Evangelou
authors.forename: Katerina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsimaratou
authors.forename: Michalis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liontos
authors.forename: Stratigoula
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sakellariou
authors.forename: Theodoros
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Barlogiannis
authors.forename: Petros
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Karakitsos
authors.forename: Apostolos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Papalois
authors.forename: Athanassios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kotsinas
authors.forename: Vassilis G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Gorgoulis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009232:Myxoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral