HIGH-INCIDENCE OF BK VIRUS LARGE-T-ANTIGEN-CODING SEQUENCES IN NORMALHUMAN TISSUES AND TUMORS OF DIFFERENT HISTOTYPES

T-antigen (TAg) coding sequences specific for BK virus (BKV) were dete cted, by PCR amplification followed by Southern-blot hybridization, in a high percentage of human tumors and tumor-cell lines, as well as in normal tissues, by analysis of 189 specimens. Specifically, the BKV e arly region was detected in 85% of brain tumors and in all normal brai n tissues, in 78% of osteosarcomas, in 38% of Swing's tumors, in 40% o f normal bone specimens and in 71% of normal peripheral blood cell sam ples. Wilms' tumor tissues used as a control were all negative for BKV sequences. RT-PCR analysis indicated that TAg coding sequences were e xpressed in specimens carrying BKV early region, ranging from 64% of t he osteosarcomas to 100% of glioblastomas, Ewing's tumors, peripheral blood cells and normal bone. Moreover, DNA sequencing performed in 12 different positive samples revealed that the amplified PCR products ar e identical to the early-region sequence of wild-type BKV. The role of BKV TAg and its possible mechanism of action in human tumorigenesis a re discussed. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.