POSSIBLE VIRAL ETIOLOGY OF GLIOBLASTOMA MULTIFORME

Abstract

Objective: Recently, CMV, EBV, BKV and JC virus have been suggested to contribute to gliomagenesis, but evidence is largely contradictory. The aim of this study was to test 50 tissue samples from patients with GBM and 21 normal brain tissues obtained from autopsy material of patients without brain tumors in order to investigate the presence of possible oncogenic microorganisms, including EBV, JCV, BKV and Toxoplasma gondii, and to evaluate patient clinical characteristics of patients with respect to microorganism findings.
 Material and Method: Fifty formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens obtained from glioblastoma tissue and 21 normal brain tissues obtained in the autopsy of individuals without brain tumor were retrospectively analyzed. After de-paraffinization of tissue samples, DNA extraction was performed for real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis to detect BKV, JCV, EBV and Toxoplasma gondii via commercially-available multiplex kits.
 Results: Strikingly, viral DNA was detected in 12 specimens (24%) of the GBM group and in none of the non-tumor brain specimens (p=0.014). BKV was detected in 4, EBV was detected in 3 (of these, 2 were alive during the study), Toxoplasma gondii was detected in 5 and JCV genotype was detected in 1 of the total 50 GBM tissue specimens. 
 Conclusion: Our results suggest that viruses may be associated with the development or progression of GBM. Understanding the role of BKV, JCV, EBV and other oncoviruses in the etiology of gliomas would likely open up new avenues for the treatment and management of this highly fatal central nervous system tumor.