A correlation study of BK Polyoma Virus infection and prostate Cancer among Sudanese patients - immunofluorescence and molecular based case-control study

Babbiker Mohammed Taher Gorish,Mohammed Elfatih Hussein Ournasseir,Iman Mohammed Shammat

doi:10.1186/s13027-019-0244-7

Babbiker Mohammed Taher Gorish, Mohammed Elfatih Hussein Ournasseir + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s13027-019-0244-7

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Abstract

BackgroundPolyomavirus hominis1, also called BK virus (BKV) is a well-known etiological agent of renal transplant nephropathy and cystitis. Recently, it got great attention from the researcher as a principal predisposing factor for different kinds of cancers including prostate cancer (PCa). Thus, this study aims to determine the correlation between BKV infection and PCa through a descriptive case-control based study.MethodsA total of 55 paraffin-embedded tissue blocks of patients with PCa and another 55 tissue blocks from BPH patients were obtained. In parallel, respective urine samples were collected from all the cases and controls. The existence of BKV large T antigen (LTAg) was analyzed by Direct Immunofluorescence assay. Only BKV LTAg positive specimens were further analyzed for the presence of viral DNA by using a conventional PCR then subjected to viral load quantitation by using Q-PCR.ResultBKV LTAg was identified in 30% (17/55) of cases tissue specimens and only in 7% (4/55) of the controls tissue specimens with P-value 0.002 and Odd ratio 5.7. The conventional PCR detects the BKV DNA in 16 out of 17 cases specimens while only two out of four controls specimens were identified with a viral DNA. The mean of the BKV DNA load was higher significantly among cases 6733 ± 6745 copies/ml when compared to controls 509.0 ± 792.9 copies/m with a p-value of 0.002.ConclusionMore BKV prevalence with high viral load was observed in PCa patients tissue compared to BPH specimens. PCa Gleason scores 9 and 7 were the most cancer grades identified with the presence of BKV DNA. Our findings are thus consistent with a significant link between the BKV infection and the PCa risk. Prostate or seminal fluids should be selected as principal specimens for future studies and can, therefore, be designated as screening samples to find early virus evidence in the prostate tissue. Detection of early virus evidence may help to reduce the risk of PCa cancer due to BKV.

Highlights

Polyomavirus hominis1, called BK virus (BKV) is a well-known etiological agent of renal transplant nephropathy and cystitis
More BKV prevalence with high viral load was observed in Prostate cancer (PCa) patients tissue compared to Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) specimens
Our findings are consistent with a significant link between the BKV infection and the PCa risk

Summary

Introduction

Polyomavirus hominis, called BK virus (BKV) is a well-known etiological agent of renal transplant nephropathy and cystitis. It got great attention from the researcher as a principal predisposing factor for different kinds of cancers including prostate cancer (PCa). Prostate cancer (PCa) is a biologically homogenous tumor that is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in men [3]. The GLOBOCAN 2018 report estimated that there would be approximately 1.3 million new prostate cancer cases and 359,000 related deaths globally in 2018, which led to PCa being classified as the second most frequent cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths among men [4]. The report demonstrated that about two-thirds of the newly diagnosed cases will be determined in the countries with very high developing index, where only 18% of the world’s male population resides [5, 6]

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