HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS AND EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS IN THE ETIOLOGY OF TESTICULAR GERM-CELL TUMORS

Epidemiological features suggest that the risk of testicular cancer ma y be related to exposure to unknown infectious agents, including virus es. Therefore a series of twenty specimens of testicular germ cell tum ours, including preinvasive carcinoma in-situ, were tested for the pre sence of DNA sequences of two viruses with known transforming abilitie s, human papillomavirus (HPV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The polyme rase chain reaction (PCR) technique was used. In none of the 19 succes sfully amplified samples were DNA sequences of HPV type 16 or type 18 detected. In six cases a faint trace of EBV DNA was revealed in one of two experiments. These samples were examined by immunohistochemical s taining with specific antibodies raised against the EBV protein produc ts and in-situ hybridization with specific molecular- probes, and were confirmed to be negative. The study indicates that a significant dire ct involvement of HPV and EBV in human testicular germ cell carcinogen esis is unlikely. However, a putative growth-stimulating role of EBV-t ransformed lymphocytes, which are frequently present in the stromal ti ssues of testicular tumours, cannot be excluded.