Lymphotropism of Merkel Cell Polyomavirus Infection, Nova Scotia, Canada

• Main Authors: Sonia Toracchio, Annette Foyle, Vojtech Sroller, Jon A. Reed, Jun Wu, Claudia A. Kozinetz, Janet S. Butel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2010-11-01
• Series: Emerging Infectious Diseases
• Subjects: Viruses; Merkel cell polyomavirus; MCPyV; human polyomaviruses; lymphocytes; cancer
• Online Access: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/16/11/10-0628_article
• ISSN: 1080-6040; 1080-6059

To test the hypothesis that Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) can infect cells of the lymphoid system, we analyzed 353 specimens, including 152 non-Hodgkin lymphomas, 44 Hodgkin lymphomas, 110 benign lymph nodes, 27 lymph nodes with metastasis, and 20 extranodal tissue samples. MCPyV DNA was detected by quantitative PCR in 13 (6.6%) of 196 lymphomas, including 5 (20.8%) of 24 chronic lymphocytic leukemia specimens, and in 11 (10%) of 110 benign lymph nodes, including 8 (13.1%) of 61 samples of reactive hyperplasia and 3 (10.3%) of 29 normal lymph nodes. Other samples were MCPyV negative. Sequence analysis of 9 virus-positive samples confirmed the identity of MCPyV; 3 viral strains were represented. Immunohistochemical testing showed that 1 T-cell lymphoma expressed MCPyV T-antigen. These findings suggest that the lymphoid system plays a role in MCPyV infection and may be a site for MCPyV persistence.