Investigation of leukemia cells from children with common acute lymphoblastic leukemia for genomic sequences of the primate polyomaviruses JC virus, BK virus, and simian virus 40

Background. An infectious etiology for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukem ia (ALL) has long been suspected, although the characteristics of the putat ive childhood ALL-inducing agent(s) remain a mystery. We describe the testi ng of ALL leukemia cells for the presence of DNA sequences of the polyomavi rus family: JC virus, BK virus, and simian virus 40 (SV40). Procedure. Cryo preserved leukemia cells from 25 children between 2 and 5 years of age at t he time of diagnosis and classified as having "common" ALL (B-precursor ALL expressing the CD19 and CD10 surface antigens) were tested for the presenc e of polyomavirus sequences using standard PCR methods. Results. Human beta -globin gene sequences were detected in 22 of 25 leukemia specimens. Howeve r, polyomavirus sequences were not detected in any of the 22 specimens with amplifiable DNA. Conclusions. The inability to detect IC virus, BK virus, and SV40 virus DNA sequences in any of the 22 specimens with amplifiable DN A suggests that that these members of the polyomavirus family are unlikely to be causally associated with most childhood ALL. Published 1999 Wiley-Lis s, Inc.(dagger)