title: Human cytomegalovirus preferentially infects the neoplastic epithelium of colorectal cancer: a quantitative and histological analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It has long been suggested that human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) might be involved in human oncogenesis. However, whether HCMV was associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) was still controversial.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To clarify whether HCMV specifically infects the tumorous tissue of CRC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Paired tumor and adjacent non-neoplastic CRC specimens were collected from 163 patients. HCMV DNA was detected and quantified through PCR and quantitative real-time PCR. Virus location was determined by in situ hybridization (ISH) of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections with an HCMV-specific probe.
  
  
  RESULTS
  By PCR, HCMV DNA was detected in 42.3% (69/163) of the tumor specimens, while only 5.6%(14/163) samples of adjacent non-neoplastic tissue were positive for HCMV (p<0.0001). Quantitative real-time PCR in 54 sample pairs revealed significantly higher viral copies in the tumor specimens than the adjacent non-neoplastic tissue specimens (p<0.001). By ISH, the nucleic acids of HCMV were detected in the cytoplasm of neoplastic epithelium. No hybridization was detected in the inflammatory infiltrates, submucosa, or other stromal tissues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HCMV preferentially infects the tumor epithelium of CRC. How the virus subsists in and interacts with the microenvironment of tumor epithelium of CRC should be studied.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, Yilan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsin-Pai
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jeng-Kai
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Cheng-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Teh-Ying
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Yen-Chung
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ya-Ting
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Shiou-Fu
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Chia-Hao
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Chih-Yung
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Chi-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Jen-Kou
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Wen-Long
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Yu-Jiun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology*; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004848:Epithelium / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral