Merkel Cell Polyomavirus DNA in Immunocompetent and Immunocompromised Patients with Respiratory Disease
Journal of Medical Virology 83:2220–2224 (2011) Merkel Cell Polyomavirus DNA in Immunocompetent and Immunocompromised Patients With Respiratory Disease Bahman Abedi Kiasari,1,3* Pamela J. Vallely,1 and Paul E. Klapper1,2 1Department of Virology, Genomic Epidemiology Research Group, School of Translational Medicine, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom 2Clinical Virology, Manchester Medical Microbiology Partnership, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Oxford Road, Manchester, United Kingdom 3Human Viral Vaccine Department, Razi Vaccine & Serum Research Institute, Hesarak, Karaj, Iran Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) was identi- INTRODUCTION fied originally in association with a rare but aggressive skin cancer, Merkel cell carcinoma. In the past few years, a number of new human poly- The virus has since been found in the respirato- omaviruses, KI, WU, human polyomavirus 6 (HPyV6), ry tract of some patients with respiratory human polyomavirus 7 (HPyV7), trichodysplasia spi- disease. However, the role of MCPyV in the nulosa virus (TSV), human polyomavirus 9 (HPyV9), causation of respiratory disease has not been and Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) have been established. To determine the prevalence of discovered [Allander et al., 2007; Gaynor et al., 2007; MCPyV in 305 respiratory samples from Feng et al., 2008; Schowalter et al., 2010; van der immunocompetent and immunocompromised Meijden et al., 2010; Scuda et al., 2011]. MCPyV was patients and evaluate their contribution to re- discovered by digital transcriptome subtraction from a spiratory diseases, specimens were screened human skin cancer, Merkel cell carcinoma [Feng for MCPyV using single, multiplex, or real-time et al., 2008]. The finding of MCPyV in human Merkel PCR; co-infection with other viruses was exam- cell carcinoma suggests a role for this virus in the ined.
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