PREVALENCE OF PAPILLOMAVIRUS, EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS, CYTOMEGALOVIRUS, AND HERPES-SIMPLEX VIRUS TYPE-2 IN URINARY-BLADDER CANCER

Recent epidemiological studies suggest that the risk for urological ma lignancies may be related to the exposure to infectious agents. Human Papillomaviruses type 16 and 18 (HPV 16, HPV 18), Epstein-Barr virus ( EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) ha ve been suggested previously as cofactors in the pathogenesis of some malignancies in humans. The present paper, the presence of HPV 16, HPV 18, EBV, CMV and HSV-2 genomes was investigated in a panel of 35 biop sies from urinary bladder carcinomas using the polymerase chain reacti on (PCR). Sequences of EBV, HPV, CMV and HSV-2 genomes were detected i n 34%, 31%, 11% and 9% of tissue samples respectively, while in 20% of patients we found more than one viral infection. Absence of viral gen omes was found in normal bladder.To our knowledge, this is the first r eport concerning the association of EBV, CMV and HSV-2 with bladder ca ncer.This finding may raise the question whether such viral infection may contribute to development and progression of some types of urologi cal malignancies in humans. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.