No Detection of SV40 DNA in Mesothelioma Tissues from a High Incidence Area in Sweden

Abstract

Simian virus 40 (SV40), a polyoma virus of the rhesus macaque was discovered in 1960 as a contaminant of human polio vaccines produced in monkey cells. A number of studies have reported the detection of SV40 nucleotide sequences in human tumors, mainly mesotheliomas, but the reports have not been consistent. The presence of SV40 in 26 consecutive cases of malignant mesothelioma of biphasic type was investigated using a SV40 quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with a sensitivity of 10 copies of viral DNA per sample. All the samples were also tested for amplifiability using a real-time PCR for the β-globin gene. Eighteen tumors were amplifiable, but none contained SV40 DNA. The results do not support an association between mesothelioma and SV40.