Search for DNA of exogenous mouse mammary tumor virus-related virus in human breast cancer samples

• Earlier reports of a human exogenous retrovirus (HMTV) related closely to mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) led us to search for these viral sequences in breast cancer tissues and normal tissues. A real-time PCR was developed based on MMTV and published HMTV envelope sequences. The real-time PCR method can detect one to ten copies of MMTV target DNA. Tissue samples were collected prospectively from 18 breast cancer patients and 11 non-malignant control cases, as well as peripheral blood leukocytes from the same women. Despite the high sensitivity of the real-time PCR method used, none of the samples were positive for HMTV DNA or RNA. The absence of HMTV DNA in both breast cancer samples and controls indicates either that the concentration of putative HMTV DNA in the breast cancers was too low for detection or that it did not exist there.

Keyword

Adult

Aged

Aged; 80 and over

Base Sequence

Betaretrovirus/genetics/*isolation & purification

Breast Neoplasms/*virology

DNA; Viral/*analysis/genetics

Female

Humans

Mammary Tumor Virus; Mouse/*genetics

Middle Aged

Molecular Sequence Data

Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods

Prospective Studies

Sequence Alignment

MEDICINE

MEDICIN

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)