Detection of the presence of Merkel cell Polyomavirus DNA in the serum of HBV and HCV patients compared to healthy control groups
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Piruz Shadbash,1 Seyed Reza Mohebbi,2,* Seyed Masoud Hosseini,3 Afsaneh Sharifian,4 Hamid Asadzadeh-Aghdaei,5 Mohammad Reza Zali,6
1. Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2. Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
3. Department of Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
4. Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
5. Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
6. Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Introduction: Merkel cell polyomavirus is a small, non-enveloped, and double-stranded DNA virus, which belongs to the Polyomaviridae family. Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) has been found in 80% of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), a rare but invasive form of skin cancer. Recent evidence revealed the presence of MCPyV in the serum and plasma samples of viral hepatitis patients and even healthy blood donors. There is no information about the molecular epidemiology of MCPyV in HBV and HCV patients in the world and also there is little known about the virus in healthy controls in Iran.
The aim of this study was to determine the presence of the MCPyV genome in HBV and HCV patients’ blood samples compared to healthy controls, in order to evaluate the co-infection between MCPyV and hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses.
- Methods: A total of 900 serum samples, including 300 HBV, 300 HCV positive samples, and 300 serum samples from healthy controls were examined. Nested- PCR method was used to investigate the presence or absence of Merkel cell polyomavirus DNA among these samples.
- Results: After reviewing HBV, HCV, and healthy control samples for Merkel cell polyomavirus DNA. Among 900 serum samples, 2 out of 300 serum samples (0.6%) from HBV patients, 1 out of 300 serum samples (0/3%) from HCV patients, and 3 of 300 healthy controls (1%) were MCPyV positive.
- Conclusion: Given that MCPyV is a rare and newly known virus, we examined the presence of the MCPyV genome in HBV and HCV patients. Previous serological evidence suggests that the virus can be found even in healthy controls. However, according to the results, the circulation of MCPyV in the serum samples is rare. Therefore, more studies are needed, especially in different groups, in order to find more information about the co-infection of MCPyV with other viruses in Iran and the world.
- Keywords: Merkel cell polyomavirus; Merkel cell carcinoma; HBV; HCV; healthy control
