title: Merkel cell polyomavirus and human papillomavirus infections in cervical disease in Iranian women.
abstract: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a necessary cause of cervical neoplasia. Concomitant infection with other infectious agents has been demonstrated to be a cofactor for HPV-related cervical carcinogenesis. The present investigation aimed to determine the prevalence of HPV and Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) infections and to evaluate the role of MCPyV as a co-factor for HPV-related cervical carcinogenesis in Iranian women. From 2011 to 2013, a total of 112 cervical samples were examined. Forty-five samples (40.2 %) were positive for HPV. MCPyV was found in 37 samples (33 %). Both HPV and MCPyV were present in 14 samples (12.5 %). MCPyV was seen in 30 % of squamous cell carcinomas, 37.5 % of adenocarcinomas, and 16.7 % of undifferentiated carcinomas. The MCPyV large T antigen (LT-Ag) DNA load was determined as the viral copy number per cell. The median MCPyV LT-Ag copy number in positive women was 0.049 × 10(-3) per cell (range 0.0006 × 10(-3)-4.558 × 10(-3) copies per cell). In comparison with other types of cervical cancer, the MCPyV LT-Ag load was higher in adenocarcinomas (0.1024 × 10(-3) copies per cell). A logistic regression model adjusted to HPV positivity and age revealed no statistically significant association between MCPyV infection and cervical cancer (OR, 1.12; 95 % CI, 0.07-16.83). More studies should be conducted to clarify the role of MCPyV in cervical carcinogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mostafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salehi-Vaziri
authors.forename: Farzin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sadeghi
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alamsi-Hashiani
authors.forename: Hayedeh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Haeri
authors.forename: Seyed Hamidreza
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Monavari
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Keyvani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D060085:Coinfection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D059965:Merkel cell polyomavirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008875:Middle Aged; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D027601:Polyomavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D015995:Prevalence; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D019562:Viral Load; D055815:Young Adult