TY - JOUR T1 - Immunologic evidence of a strong association between non-Hodgkin lymphoma and simian virus 40. JF - Cancer Y1 - 2015 A1 - Tognon, Mauro A1 - Luppi, Mario A1 - Corallini, Alfredo A1 - Taronna, Angelo A1 - Barozzi, Patrizia A1 - Rotondo, John Charles A1 - Comar, Manola A1 - Casali, Maria Vittoria A1 - Bovenzi, Massimo A1 - D'Agostino, Antonio A1 - Vinante, Fabrizio A1 - Rigo, Antonella A1 - Ferrarini, Isacco A1 - Barbanti-Brodano, Giuseppe A1 - Martini, Fernanda A1 - Mazzoni, Elisa KW - Adult KW - Aged KW - Antibodies, Viral KW - Capsid Proteins KW - Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay KW - Female KW - Humans KW - Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin KW - Male KW - Middle Aged KW - Polyomavirus Infections KW - Seroepidemiologic Studies KW - Simian virus 40 KW - Tumor Virus Infections AB -

BACKGROUND: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), the most common cancer of the lymphatic system, is of unknown etiology. The identification of etiologic factors in the onset of NHL is a key event that could facilitate the prevention and cure of this malignancy. Simian virus 40 (SV40) has been considered an oncogenic agent in the onset/progression of NHL.

METHODS: In this study, an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with 2 synthetic peptides that mimic SV40 antigens of viral capsid proteins 1 to 3 was employed to detect specific antibodies against SV40. Serum samples were taken from 2 distinct cohorts of NHL-affected patients (NHL1 [n = 89] and NHL2 [n = 61]) along with controls represented by oncologic patients affected by breast cancer (BC; n = 78) and undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (UNPC; n = 64) and 3 different cohorts of healthy subjects (HSs; HS1 [n = 130], HS2 [n = 83], and HS3 [n = 87]).

RESULTS: Immunologic data indicated that in serum samples from NHL patients, antibodies against SV40 mimotopes were detectable with a prevalence of 40% in NHL1 patients and with a prevalence of 43% in NHL2 patients. In HSs of the same median age as NHL patients, the prevalence was 16% for the HS1 group (57 years) and 14% for the HS2 group (65 years). The difference was statistically significant (P < .0001 and P < .001). Interestingly, the difference between NHL1/NHL2 patients and BC patients (40%/43% vs 15%, P < .001) and between NHL1/NHL2 patients and UNPC patients (40%/43% vs 25%, P < .05) was significant.

CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate a strong association between NHL and SV40 and thus a need for innovative therapeutic approaches for this hematologic malignancy.

VL - 121 IS - 15 U1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25877010?dopt=Abstract ER -