Tognon, M., Luppi, M., Corallini, A., Taronna, A., Barozzi, P., Rotondo, J. C., Comar, M., Casali, M. V., Bovenzi, M., D'Agostino, A., Vinante, F., Rigo, A., Ferrarini, I., Barbanti-Brodano, G., Martini, F. and Mazzoni, E. (2015), Immunologic evidence of a strong association between non-Hodgkin lymphoma and simian virus 40. Cancer, 121: 2618?2626. doi: 10.1002/cncr.29404
[h=4]BACKGROUND[/h] Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), the most common cancer of the lymphatic system, is of unknown etiology. The identification of etiologic factors in the onset of NHL is a key event that could facilitate the prevention and cure of this malignancy. Simian virus 40 (SV40) has been considered an oncogenic agent in the onset/progression of NHL.
[h=4]METHODS[/h] In this study, an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with 2 synthetic peptides that mimic SV40 antigens of viral capsid proteins 1 to 3 was employed to detect specific antibodies against SV40. Serum samples were taken from 2 distinct cohorts of NHL-affected patients (NHL1 [n = 89] and NHL2 [n = 61]) along with controls represented by oncologic patients affected by breast cancer (BC; n = 78) and undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (UNPC; n = 64) and 3 different cohorts of healthy subjects (HSs; HS1 [n = 130], HS2 [n = 83], and HS3 [n = 87]).
[h=4]RESULTS[/h] Immunologic data indicated that in serum samples from NHL patients, antibodies against SV40 mimotopes were detectable with a prevalence of 40% in NHL1 patients and with a prevalence of 43% in NHL2 patients. In HSs of the same median age as NHL patients, the prevalence was 16% for the HS1 group (57 years) and 14% for the HS2 group (65 years). The difference was statistically significant (P < .0001 and P < .001). Interestingly, the difference between NHL1/NHL2 patients and BC patients (40%/43% vs 15%, P < .001) and between NHL1/NHL2 patients and UNPC patients (40%/43% vs 25%, P < .05) was significant.
[h=4]CONCLUSIONS[/h] Our data indicate a strong association between NHL and SV40 and thus a need for innovative therapeutic approaches for this hematologic malignancy. Cancer 2015;121:2618?2626. ? 2015 American Cancer Society.
