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. 2011 Jun 30;117(26):7099-101.
doi: 10.1182/blood-2010-09-310557. Epub 2011 Apr 4.

Merkel cell polyomavirus DNA sequences in the buffy coats of healthy blood donors

Cecilia Pancaldi  1 , Valentina Corazzari, Stefania Maniero, Elisa Mazzoni, Manola Comar, Fernanda Martini, Mauro Tognon
Affiliations
Free article

Merkel cell polyomavirus DNA sequences in the buffy coats of healthy blood donors

Cecilia Pancaldi et al. Blood. .
Free article

Abstract

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.

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Comment in

  • Opening new roads for MCPyV.
    Zur Hausen A. Zur Hausen A. Blood. 2011 Jun 30;117(26):6975-6. doi: 10.1182/blood-2011-05-348441. Blood. 2011. PMID: 21719606 No abstract available.

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