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Presence of mouse mammary tumour-like virus gene sequences may be associated with morphology of specific human breast cancer

Lawson, J S ; Tran, D D ; Carpenter, E ; Ford, Caroline LU ; Rawlinson, W D ; Whitaker, N J and Delprado, W (2006) In Journal of Clinical Pathology 59(12). p.1287-1292
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Mouse mammary tumour virus (MMTV) has a proven role in breast carcinogenesis in wild mice and genetically susceptible in-bred mice. MMTV-like env gene sequences, which indicate the presence of a replication-competent MMTV-like virus, have been identified in some human breast cancers, but rarely in normal breast tissues. However, no evidence for a causal role of an MMTV-like virus in human breast cancer has emerged, although there are precedents for associations between specific histological characteristics of human cancers and the presence of oncogenic viruses. AIM: To investigate the possibility of an association between breast cancer and MMTV-like viruses. METHODS: Histological characteristics of invasive ductal human breast... (More)
BACKGROUND: Mouse mammary tumour virus (MMTV) has a proven role in breast carcinogenesis in wild mice and genetically susceptible in-bred mice. MMTV-like env gene sequences, which indicate the presence of a replication-competent MMTV-like virus, have been identified in some human breast cancers, but rarely in normal breast tissues. However, no evidence for a causal role of an MMTV-like virus in human breast cancer has emerged, although there are precedents for associations between specific histological characteristics of human cancers and the presence of oncogenic viruses. AIM: To investigate the possibility of an association between breast cancer and MMTV-like viruses. METHODS: Histological characteristics of invasive ductal human breast cancer specimens were compared with archival MMTV-associated mammary tumours from C3H experimental mice. The presence of MMTV-like env DNA sequences in the human breast cancer specimens was determined by polymerase chain reaction and confirmed by Southern hybridisation. RESULTS: MMTV-like env gene sequences were identified in 22 of 59 (37.3%) human breast cancer specimens. Seventeen of 43 (39.5%) invasive ductal carcinoma breast cancer specimens and 4 of 16 (25%) ductal carcinoma in situ specimens had some histological characteristics, which were similar to MMTV-associated mouse mammary tumours. However, these similarities were not associated with the presence or absence of MMTV-like gene sequences in the human breast tumour specimens. A significant (p = 0.05) correlation was found between the grade of the human breast cancer and similarity to the mouse mammary tumours. The lower the grade, the greater the similarity. CONCLUSION: Some human breast cancer specimens, in which MMTV-like env DNA sequences have been identified, were shown to have histological characteristics (morphology) similar to MMTV-associated mouse mammary tumours. These observations are compatible with, but not conclusive of, an association between the presence of MMTV-like env DNA sequences and some human breast cancers. (Less)
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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of Clinical Pathology
volume
59
issue
12
pages
1287 - 1292
publisher
BMJ Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • pmid:16698952
  • scopus:33846021247
ISSN
1472-4146
DOI
10.1136/jcp.2005.035907
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
ba5c7f0c-38af-4470-81e3-959b53789333 (old id 1136304)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:14:38
date last changed
2022-01-28 18:17:44
@article{ba5c7f0c-38af-4470-81e3-959b53789333,
  abstract     = {{BACKGROUND: Mouse mammary tumour virus (MMTV) has a proven role in breast carcinogenesis in wild mice and genetically susceptible in-bred mice. MMTV-like env gene sequences, which indicate the presence of a replication-competent MMTV-like virus, have been identified in some human breast cancers, but rarely in normal breast tissues. However, no evidence for a causal role of an MMTV-like virus in human breast cancer has emerged, although there are precedents for associations between specific histological characteristics of human cancers and the presence of oncogenic viruses. AIM: To investigate the possibility of an association between breast cancer and MMTV-like viruses. METHODS: Histological characteristics of invasive ductal human breast cancer specimens were compared with archival MMTV-associated mammary tumours from C3H experimental mice. The presence of MMTV-like env DNA sequences in the human breast cancer specimens was determined by polymerase chain reaction and confirmed by Southern hybridisation. RESULTS: MMTV-like env gene sequences were identified in 22 of 59 (37.3%) human breast cancer specimens. Seventeen of 43 (39.5%) invasive ductal carcinoma breast cancer specimens and 4 of 16 (25%) ductal carcinoma in situ specimens had some histological characteristics, which were similar to MMTV-associated mouse mammary tumours. However, these similarities were not associated with the presence or absence of MMTV-like gene sequences in the human breast tumour specimens. A significant (p = 0.05) correlation was found between the grade of the human breast cancer and similarity to the mouse mammary tumours. The lower the grade, the greater the similarity. CONCLUSION: Some human breast cancer specimens, in which MMTV-like env DNA sequences have been identified, were shown to have histological characteristics (morphology) similar to MMTV-associated mouse mammary tumours. These observations are compatible with, but not conclusive of, an association between the presence of MMTV-like env DNA sequences and some human breast cancers.}},
  author       = {{Lawson, J S and Tran, D D and Carpenter, E and Ford, Caroline and Rawlinson, W D and Whitaker, N J and Delprado, W}},
  issn         = {{1472-4146}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{12}},
  pages        = {{1287--1292}},
  publisher    = {{BMJ Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{Journal of Clinical Pathology}},
  title        = {{Presence of mouse mammary tumour-like virus gene sequences may be associated with morphology of specific human breast cancer}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jcp.2005.035907}},
  doi          = {{10.1136/jcp.2005.035907}},
  volume       = {{59}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}