No Detection of Xenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus-Related Viruses in Prostate Cancer in Sanandaj, West of Iran

Mazaher Khodabandehloo,Ali Jalili,Mohammad-Ali Rezaee,Mohammad-Saied Hakhamaneshi,Weria Hosseini,Bahram Nikkhoo,Mohammad-Reza Rahmani

doi:10.7314/apjcp.2013.14.11.6929

Abstract

Multiple etiologies have been hypothesized for prostate cancer, including genetic defects and infectious agents. A recently reported gamaretrovirus, xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) has been reported to be detected in prostate cancer. However, this virus has not been detected in similar groups of patients in other studies. Herein, we sought to detect XMRV in prostate cancers and benign controls in Sanandaj, west of Iran. In a case-control study, genomic DNA was extracted from formalin fixed and paraffin embedded prostate tissues from a total of 163 Iranian patients. We developed a conventional and a nested PCR assay using primers targeting to an env specific sequence of XMRV. PCR assays were carried out on 63 prostate cancers and 100 benign prostate hyperplasias. Beta-actin sequences were successfully detected in the DNA extracts from all prostate tissues, confirming DNA extraction integrity. We did not detect XMRV in samples either from prostate cancers or benign prostate hyperplasias using XMRV specific primers. We conclude that in our population XMRV does not play a role in genesis of prostate cancer.

Highlights

Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy in men worldwide (Groom et al, 2012)
Murine leukemia viruses (MLVs) belong to gammaretroviruses in the retroviridae family, which viral RNA is reverse-transcribed to DNA during replication
Proposed reasons to explain the conflicting data are unknown but may be: technical differences, lack of standardized xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) PCR assays, assay sensitivity, contamination by and cross-reactivity of XMRV PCR assays with closely related endogenous MLVs such as trace quantities of mouse genomic DNA found in reagents and samples (Hue et al, 2010; Oakes et al, 2010; Robinson et al, 2010; Sato et al, 2010; Knox, Carrigan et al, 2011; Tuke et al, 2011), differences in the geographical distribution of XMRV, sequence differences among XMRV genomes (Silverman et al, 2010; Singh et al, 2010; Knox et al, 2011) and factors related to the population genetic factors (Switzer et al, 2011)

Summary

Introduction

Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy in men worldwide (Groom et al, 2012). The annual incidence rates of prostate cancer among Iranian population are dramatically higher than in other countries of Asia (Akbari et al, 2008). Proposed reasons to explain the conflicting data are unknown but may be: technical differences, lack of standardized XMRV PCR assays, assay sensitivity, contamination by and cross-reactivity of XMRV PCR assays with closely related endogenous MLVs such as trace quantities of mouse genomic DNA found in reagents and samples (Hue et al, 2010; Oakes et al, 2010; Robinson et al, 2010; Sato et al, 2010; Knox, Carrigan et al, 2011; Tuke et al, 2011), differences in the geographical distribution of XMRV, sequence differences among XMRV genomes (Silverman et al, 2010; Singh et al, 2010; Knox et al, 2011) and factors related to the population genetic factors (Switzer et al, 2011). We developed a conventional and nested PCR assays specific for env region of XMRV and MLVs, seeking evidence of infection with XMRV or MLV in DNA content of formalin fixed and paraffin embedded pathologic specimens from prostate cancers and benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) as controls to analysis the association of XMRV or related MLVs with prostate cancer in Iran

Materials and Methods

Findings

Results