High viral load of Merkel cell polyomavirus DNA sequences in Langerhans cell sarcoma tissues.
BACKGROUND
Langerhans cell (LC) sarcoma (LCS) is a high-grade neoplasm with overtly malignant cytologic features and an LC phenotype. We very recently suggested that LC behaves as a reservoir for common dermotropic Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) and determined the relationship between LC histiocytosis (LCH), which has an underlining oncogenic capacity, and MCPyV as a trigger for a reactive process rather than a neoplastic process. We propose LC to be a reservoir for MCPyV and hypothesize that some LCS subtypes may be related to the MCPyV agent.


RESULTS
We examined seven LCS tissues using multiplex quantitative PCR (Q-PCR) and immunohistochemistry with anti MCPyV large-T (LT) antigen antibody. High viral loads of MCPyV DNA sequences (viral load = relative levels of MCPyV) were detected (0.328-0.772 copies/cell (Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) = 1.0)) using Q-PCR in 43% (3/7) tissues, but LT antigen expression was not observed (0/7).


CONCLUSIONS
Frequent MCPyV-DNA amplification suggests that LCS in some patients may be related to MCPyV infection. Moreover, the higher viral load of LCS (median, 0.453 copies/cell) than low load of LCH (0.003, median of 12 cases) (P < 0.01) may suggest a virally induced tumorigenic process in some LCS. Although the absence of LT antigen expression may indicate a different role for MCPyV in this pathology, some subtypes of LCS may develop in the background of MCPyV-infected LC. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the relationship between MCPyV and LCS. The recent discovery of MCPyV opened new therapeutic avenues for MCC. These data open novel possibilities for therapeutic interventions against LCS.
Division of Molecular Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago 683-8503, Japan.
Ichiro
I
Murakami
Department of Pathobiological Science and Technology, School of Health Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago 683-8503, Japan.
Michiko
M
Matsushita
Division of Molecular Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago 683-8503, Japan.
Takeshi
T
Iwasaki
Division of Molecular Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago 683-8503, Japan.
Satoshi
S
Kuwamoto
Division of Molecular Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago 683-8503, Japan.
Masako
M
Kato
Department of Pathology, Tottori University Hospital, Yonago 683-8503, Japan.
Yasushi
Y
Horie
Division of Molecular Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago 683-8503, Japan.
Kazuhiko
K
Hayashi
Inserm U507 and U1016, Institut Cochin, Paris 75014, France.
Jean
J
Gogusev
University of Paris Descartes (Paris V), Paris 75006, France.
Francis
F
Jaubert
Department of Pathology, Tottori Prefectural Central Hospital, Tottori 680-0901, Japan.
Shu
S
Nakamoto
Department of Pathological Diagnostics, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata 990-9585, Japan.
Mitsunori
M
Yamakawa
Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Japan Baptist Medical Foundation, Kyoto 606-8273, Japan.
Hirokazu
H
Nakamine
Department of Pathology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8530, Japan.
Katsuyoshi
K
Takata
Department of Pathology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8530, Japan.
Takashi
T
Oka
Department of Pathology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama 700-8530, Japan.
Tadashi
T
Yoshino
Langerhans cell; Langerhans cell sarcoma; Merkel cell polyomavirus; Multiplex quantitative PCR