title: Human cytomegalovirus and primary intracranial tumours: frequency of tumour infection and lack of correlation with systemic immune anti-viral responses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a ubiquitous beta human herpesvirus able to influence infected cell survival and proliferation and to modulate the host immune response. As there is accumulating evidence that HCMV is detected in primary intracranial astrocytic tumours, in this study we looked for the presence of HCMV in intracranial tumours and tried to correlate this eventual presence with the anti-HCMV systemic immunoreactivity and with the detection of HCMV in peripheral blood.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, we analysed 43 glioblastomas (GBM), 14 oligodendrogliomas (OL) and 20 meningiomas (MG) by immunofluorescence (IF) targeting HCMV immediate early antigen (IE1) and by nested PCR (nPCR) amplifying HCMV glycoprotein B (gB).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Detection of IE1 by IF showed the presence of HCMV in 70% of GBM, 57% of OL and 85% of MG, in contrast to gB nPCR, which detected HCMV in only 50% of GBM, 38% of OL and 46% of MG. Unexpectedly, HCMV DNA and antigens were detected within GBM, OL and MG of patients that exhibit negative viral serology. More surprisingly, PCR on the peripheral blood did not detect HCMV in patients with a HCMV-positive tumour.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results are in agreement with previous observations demonstrating HCMV in glial tumours and highlight the presence of HCMV in meningiomas. We also showed that anti-HCMV specific systemic immunoreactivity and detection of HCMV in peripheral blood are not predictive of HCMV presence in primary intracranial tumours.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomopathology, Laboratory of Neuropathology, University Hospital, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium; GIGA-Neurosciences Research Center, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roncarati
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hougrand
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Guérin-El Khourouj
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Boreux
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kroonen
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Robe
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rogister
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Delvenne
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deprez
mesh_terms: D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000821:virology*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; C088645:IE1 protein, cytomegalovirus; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins
keywords: human cytomegalovirus; immunofluorescence; nested PCR; primary intracranial tumours; systemic immune anti-viral responses