TY - JOUR T1 - Association between the JC polyomavirus infection and male infertility. JF - PLoS One Y1 - 2012 A1 - Comar, Manola A1 - Zanotta, Nunzia A1 - Croci, Eleonora A1 - Murru, Immacolata A1 - Marci, Roberto A1 - Pancaldi, Cecilia A1 - Dolcet, Ornella A1 - Luppi, Stefania A1 - Martinelli, Monica A1 - Giolo, Elena A1 - Ricci, Giuseppe A1 - Tognon, Mauro KW - Adult KW - Amino Acid Sequence KW - Amino Acid Substitution KW - Base Sequence KW - BK Virus KW - Capsid Proteins KW - DNA, Viral KW - Humans KW - Infertility, Male KW - JC Virus KW - Male KW - Molecular Sequence Data KW - Polyomavirus Infections KW - Semen KW - Sequence Analysis, DNA KW - Tumor Virus Infections AB -
In recent years the incidence of male infertility has increased. Many risk factors have been taken into consideration, including viral infections. Investigations into viral agents and male infertility have mainly been focused on human papillomaviruses, while no reports have been published on polyomaviruses and male infertility. The aim of this study was to verify whether JC virus and BK virus are associated with male infertility. Matched semen and urine samples from 106 infertile males and 100 fertile males, as controls, were analyzed. Specific PCR analyses were carried out to detect and quantify large T (Tag) coding sequences of JCV and BKV. DNA sequencing, carried out in Tag JCV-positive samples, was addressed to viral protein 1 (VP1) coding sequences. The prevalence of JCV Tag sequences in semen and urine samples from infertile males was 34% (72/212), whereas the BKV prevalence was 0.94% (2/212). Specifically, JCV Tag sequences were detected in 24.5% (26/106) of semen and 43.4% (46/106) of urine samples from infertile men. In semen and urine samples from controls the prevalence was 11% and 28%, respectively. A statistically significant difference (p<0.05) in JCV prevalence was disclosed in semen and urine samples of cases vs. controls. A higher JC viral DNA load was detected in samples from infertile males than in controls. In samples from infertile males the JC virus type 2 strain, subtype 2b, was more prevalent than ubiquitous type 1. JCV type 2 strain infection has been found to be associated with male infertility. These data suggest that the JC virus should be taken into consideration as an infectious agent which is responsible for male infertility.
VL - 7 IS - 8 U1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22912758?dopt=Abstract ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Simian virus 40 efficiently infects human T lymphocytes and extends their lifespan. JF - Exp Hematol Y1 - 2012 A1 - Mazzoni, Elisa A1 - Rigolin, Gian Matteo A1 - Alaribe, Franca Nneka A1 - Pancaldi, Cecilia A1 - Maniero, Stefania A1 - Comar, Manola A1 - Martini, Fernanda A1 - Tognon, Mauro KW - Antigens, Polyomavirus Transforming KW - Cell Line, Transformed KW - Cell Survival KW - Humans KW - Microscopy, Electron, Transmission KW - Simian virus 40 KW - T-Lymphocytes AB -The relevance of viral infections to the onset and progression of human hematologic malignancies and other blood diseases is still a matter of active investigation. Purified human T lymphocytes isolated from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy blood donors were experimentally infected with simian virus 40 (SV40), a small DNA tumor virus. SV40-positive T lymphocytes extended their lifespan up to day 80 postinfection (PI). Expression of viral antigens, such as the large T antigen and the viral capsid protein VP1 from the early and late regions, respectively, was detected up to day 40 PI. SV40 viral progeny were continuously produced from day 10 to 40 PI. SV40 DNA sequences were detected in infected T cells for up to 80 days. Our data indicate that human T lymphocytes can be efficiently infected with SV40. Although T cells infected by SV40 were not immortalized, 30% of these lymphocytes appeared to be morphologically transformed with an enlarged T-cell shape. Our investigation provides a simple model for studying the interactions of human T lymphocytes with this small DNA tumor virus and it might represent an experimental tool for investigating new biomarkers and targets for innovative therapeutic approaches.
VL - 40 IS - 6 U1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22421183?dopt=Abstract ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Merkel cell polyomavirus DNA sequences in the buffy coats of healthy blood donors. JF - Blood Y1 - 2011 A1 - Pancaldi, Cecilia A1 - Corazzari, Valentina A1 - Maniero, Stefania A1 - Mazzoni, Elisa A1 - Comar, Manola A1 - Martini, Fernanda A1 - Tognon, Mauro KW - Adult KW - Aged KW - Base Sequence KW - Blood Buffy Coat KW - Carcinoma, Merkel Cell KW - Databases, Nucleic Acid KW - DNA, Viral KW - Expressed Sequence Tags KW - Humans KW - Italy KW - Middle Aged KW - Molecular Sequence Data KW - Polymerase Chain Reaction KW - Polyomavirus KW - Polyomavirus Infections KW - Prevalence KW - Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction KW - Sequence Alignment KW - Sequence Analysis, DNA KW - Tumor Virus Infections KW - Viral Load KW - Young Adult AB -Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV), a DNA tumor virus, has been found to be associated with Merkel cell carcinoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. MCPyV sequences have also been detected in various normal tissues in tumor-affected patients. Immunologic studies have detected MCPyV antibodies in as many as 80% of healthy blood donors. This high seroprevalence suggests that MCPyV infection is widespread in humans. In our study, buffy coats, which were examined for MCPyV DNA Tag sequences, showed a prevalence of 22%. Viral DNA load was revealed in blood samples from 10 to 100 molecules/100 000 cells. DNA sequencing confirmed that polymerase chain reaction amplicons belong to the MCPyV strain, MKL-1. To interpret the putative role of MCPyV in chronic lymphocytic leukemia, we may infer that, during a long period of viral persistence in blood cells, this DNA tumor virus may generate mutants, which are able to participate as cofactors in the multistep process of cell transformation.
VL - 117 IS - 26 U1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21464370?dopt=Abstract ER -