Human papillomavirus (HPV) is an important causative factor of
cervical cancer and is associated with non-small cell lung cancer
(NSCLC). Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) is a rare and highly fatal
cutaneous virus that can cause Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). Although
coinfection with oncogenic HPV and MCPyV may increase cancer risk, a
definitive etiological link has not been established. Recently, genomic
variation and genetic diversity in the MCPyV noncoding control region
(NCCR) among ethnic groups has been reported. The current study aimed to
provide accurate prevalence information on HPV and MCPyV
infection/coinfection in NSCLC patients and to evaluate and confirm
Korean MCPyV NCCR variant genotypes and sequences. DNA from 150 NSCLC
tissues and 150 adjacent control tissues was assessed via polymerase
chain reaction (PCR) targeting regions of the large T antigen (LT-ag),
viral capsid protein 1 (VP1), and NCCR. MCPyV was detected in 22.7% (34
of 150) of NSCLC tissues and 8.0% (12 of 150) of adjacent tissues from
Korean patients. The incidence rates of HPV with and without MCPyV were
26.5% (9 of 34) and 12.9% (15 of 116). The MCPyV NCCR genotype
prevalence in Korean patients was 21.3% (32 of 150) for subtype I and
6% (9 of 150) for subtype IIc. Subtype I, a predominant East Asian
strain containing 25 bp tandem repeats, was most common in the MCPyV
NCCR dataset. Our results confirm that coinfection with other
tumor-associated viruses is not associated with NSCLC. Although the role
of NCCR rearrangements in MCPyV infection remains unknown, future
studies are warranted to determine the associations of MCPyV NCCR
sequence rearrangements with specific diseases.
Keywords: Merkel cell polyomavirus, Human
papillomavirus , Non-small cell lung cancer, Noncoding control region,
Genetic variability, Asian/Koran genotype