Though considered a rare form of cancer, recent studies have indicated that a quarter million people will die from human malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) in Europe during the next 3 decades. Although the mineral asbestos is widely thought to be the main causative agent of this neoplasm, infection by the DNA tumor virus simian virus 40 (SV40) has also been implicated. Elisa Mazzoni et al. (pp. 18066–18071) examined serum samples from patients affected by MPM and found the presence of antibodies that specifically react with two different SV40 mimotopes. Serum samples from 97 MPM-affected patients, the authors report, contained a statistically significant higher loading of antibodies against SV40 compared with a control group of healthy subjects with the same median age and gender. This prevalence of SV40 antibodies in MPM patients, the authors propose, supports data from previous studies in which PCR techniques revealed key SV40 sequences in MPM tumor DNA. Although finding elevated levels of SV40 antibodies in the sera of MPM patients does not constitute a cause and effect relationship, the results suggest that SV40 is associated with a subset of MPM and may circulate in humans, according to the authors. — T.J.
Antibodies for SV40 virus elevated in malignant pleural mesothelioma patients. Highlights of the journal P.N.A.S. by T.J., on the article published by Mazzoni et al.,
MAZZONI, Elisa
2012
Abstract
Though considered a rare form of cancer, recent studies have indicated that a quarter million people will die from human malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) in Europe during the next 3 decades. Although the mineral asbestos is widely thought to be the main causative agent of this neoplasm, infection by the DNA tumor virus simian virus 40 (SV40) has also been implicated. Elisa Mazzoni et al. (pp. 18066–18071) examined serum samples from patients affected by MPM and found the presence of antibodies that specifically react with two different SV40 mimotopes. Serum samples from 97 MPM-affected patients, the authors report, contained a statistically significant higher loading of antibodies against SV40 compared with a control group of healthy subjects with the same median age and gender. This prevalence of SV40 antibodies in MPM patients, the authors propose, supports data from previous studies in which PCR techniques revealed key SV40 sequences in MPM tumor DNA. Although finding elevated levels of SV40 antibodies in the sera of MPM patients does not constitute a cause and effect relationship, the results suggest that SV40 is associated with a subset of MPM and may circulate in humans, according to the authors. — T.J.I documenti in SFERA sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
