Are Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus and Bovine Leukemia Virus Linked to Breast Cancer among Jordanian Women?

Abstract

The investigation into the potential association between retroviruses and breast cancer (BC) presents a fascinating area of research. In this study, the focus was on assessing the presence of two retroviruses, Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus (MMTV) and Bovine Leukemia Virus (BLV), in BC samples and exploring their relationship with relevant clinicopathological variables. The study involved analyzing BC samples from 103 Jordanian female patients diagnosed with BC, as well as breast tissue samples from 25 control patients without evidence of breast malignancy. Real-time PCR was used to investigate the evidence of MMTV and BLV infection in these samples, and the findings were then correlated with various clinicopathological characteristics of BC. The results showed that BLV was detected in 19 (18.4%) of the BC samples, while MMTV was detected in only seven (6.8%). Importantly, none of the control samples tested positive for MMTV or BLV. Additionally, MMTV/BLV co-infections were reported in 1.9% of the BC cases. However, the analysis did not reveal any statistically significant associations between the presence of these retroviruses and various clinicopathological variables, such as age, molecular subtypes of BC, stage, grade, lymph node involvement, tumor size, smoking status, or family history. Despite these findings, it is crucial to acknowledge that further investigation with a larger cohort is necessary to establish a clearer association and elucidate the underlying mechanisms that may explain the exact role of retroviruses in breast carcinogenesis. This study provides insights into the potential infection by MMTV and BLV of BC and lays the groundwork for future research in this area.