Occurrence of newly discovered human polyomaviruses in skin of liver transplant recipients and their relation with squamous cell carcinoma in situ and actinic keratosis – a single‐center cohort study

Abstract

Summary To date 14 human polyomaviruses (HPyVs) have been identified. The newly found HPyVs have not been examined with regard to post‐transplant skin carcinogenesis. To determine the occurrences in skin and possible pathological associations of the HPyVs, we studied their genoprevalences in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in situ or actinic keratosis and benign skin in liver transplant recipients (LiTRs); and of healthy skin in immunocompetent adults. We used highly sensitive and specific HPyV PCRs of two types. Overall, Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV), human polyomavirus 6 (HPyV6), human polyomavirus 7 (HPyV7), trichodysplasia spinulosa polyomavirus (TSPyV), and Lyon IARC polyomavirus (LIPyV) were found in 58/221 (26.2%) skin biopsies. MCPyV DNA was detected in 5/14 (35.7%) premalignant vs. 32/127 (25.2%) benign skin of LiTRs, and in 12/80 (15%) healthy skin of immunocompetent adults, with no statistically significant difference in viral DNA prevalence or load. TSPyV DNA was found in a single skin lesion. LIPyV, HPyV6 and HPyV7 DNAs occurred exclusively in benign skin. Overall, the viral findings in premalignant versus benign skin were alike. The occurrences of HPyVs in skin of LiTRs and immunocompetent individuals speak against a role for any of the 14 HPyVs in SCC development.

Multiplex analysis of Human Polyomavirus diversity in kidney transplant recipients with BK virus replication

“…Viral DNA of each sample was measured using a novel bead-based multiplex PCR for 13 HPyVs, as described previously (17,18). More detailed information is given in Supplementary Material and Methods.…”

Detection of Quebec Polyomavirus DNA in Samples from Different Patient Groups

“…This shows that simultaneous viruria of different HPyVs can occur. Co-detection of different HPyV has been previously reported, including BKPyV and JCPyV in urine from renal transplant recipients and hematological stem cell transplant patients [ 44 , 45 ], HPyV6 and HPyV7 in urine from pregnant women and SLE patients [ 41 ] and MCPyV and HPyV6 or MCPyV and LIPyV in the skin of liver transplant patients [ 46 ].…”

Lyon-IARC Polyomavirus DNA in Feces of Diarrheic Cats

“…LIPyV-specific PCR detected polyomavirus DNA in 9/445 skin swabs and 1/439 plucked eyebrow hair samples from healthy U.S. adults and in 3/140 gargle samples from healthy French adults (5). LIPyV was also found by PCR in 1/127 benign skin samples from liver transplant recipients in Finland (14) but not in 689 noncancerous human tonsil samples or 139 gargle samples from France (15). The initial publication describing the LIPyV genome stated that “we cannot exclude the possibility that LIPyV is an animal virus and its presence in the human body may represent an environmental contamination” (5).…”