Detection of herpesviral sequences in tissues of green turtles with fibropapilloma by polymerase chain reaction

An alpha-herpesvirus has been associated recently with green turtle fibropa pilloma (FP). To further clarify the role of this newfound green turtle her pesvirus (GTHV) in the pathogenesis of FP, various normal-appearing tissues and organs (including skin, eye, brain, heart, liver, spleen, intestine, l ung, kidney, nerve, gonad, tongue, gall bladder, urinary bladder, thyroid a nd peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from blood) and tumor tissues from 19 green turtles (Chelonia mydas) with FP, and tissues from three gree n turtles without FP, collected during 1997 to 1999 in the Hawaiian Islands , were tested for GTHV sequences by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR), using GTHV-specific oligonuclotide primers. GTHV sequences were detected i n all tumors (51/51) and most tissues (133/167) of tumored turtles. By cont rast, such sequences were undetectable in tissues (0/28) of three non-tumor ed turtles. Analysis of GTHV sequences detected in different tissues and tu mors revealed a low degree of genetic diversity (<1%). The wide distributio n of this newfound herpesvirus in tumors and tissues of tumored green turtl es and its absence in tissues of non-tumored turtles, argues for an etiolog ic role in FP.