Analysis of polyoma virus related tumor: Merlkel cell polyomavirus infection and tumorgenesis

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Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) has recently been identified in Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), an aggressive cancer that occurs in sun-exposed skin. We performed quantitative analyses of the MCPyV copy number in various skin tumor tissues, including MCC and other sun exposure-related skin tumors. In a conventional PCR analysis, MCPyV DNA was detected in all 9 MCCs, 1 Basal cell carcinoma, and 3 Actinic Keraotis. The viral copy number per haploid genome was estimated to be around 1 in most MCC tissues, and there were marked differences between the MCC and AK groups by digital PCR technology. PCR-positive BCC tissue showed a similar viral load as MCC tissue. Immunohistochemistry with a monoclonal antibody against the MCPyV T antigen demonstrated positive nuclear localization in most of the high-viral-load tumor groups, but not in the low-viral-load or PCR-negative tumor groups. These results demonstrated that MCPyV infection is possibly involved in a minority of sun-exposed skin tumors.