Detection of polyomaviruses and herpesviruses in human adrenal tumors

Mohamed S, Gouda W. Case-control study: Unveiling human polyomaviruses and papillomavirus in Egyptian colorectal cancer patients

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a cancer type that is thought to be influenced by human papillomaviruses (HPVs) and human polyomaviruses (HPyVs). In Egypt, CRC ranks as the 7th most common cancer, accounting for 3.47% of male cancers and 3% of female cancers. However, there is currently a lack of information regarding the presence of PyVs and HPVs co-infection specifically in CRC cases in Egypt. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of HPVs and HPyVs (JCPyV, BKPyV, and SV40) infections, as well as co-infections, among CRC patients in Egypt. Additionally, the study aimed to assess any potential association between these viral infections and tumor stages.

METHODS

In the present study, we analyzed a total of 51 tissue samples obtained from Egyptian CRC patients, along with 19 polyps' samples. Our investigation focused on the detection and genotyping of HPyVs using Real-Time PCR. Additionally, we employed real-time PCR for the detection of HPVs, and for their genotyping, we utilized a combination of PCR amplification followed by sequencing.

RESULTS

In our study, we found evidence of HPyVs infection in the CRC patients, specifically SV40 (25.5%) and BKPyV (19.6%). However, JCPyV was not detected in the samples that were examined. Additionally, we discovered that HPV was present in 43.1% of the CRC patients. When considering viral co-infections, 19.6% of the CRC samples showed coexistence of multiple viruses, while no co-infections were found in the polyps samples. Importantly, we observed a significant correlation between the presence of HPVs and advanced colorectal tumor grades B2 and D.

CONCLUSION

Our findings provide valuable data for the detection of oncogenic viruses in colorectal cancer (CRC) and underscore the association of viral co-infections with advanced tumor stages. However, further research with larger cohorts is necessary to validate these findings and strengthen their significance in the field of CRC.

Is membrane androgen and estrogen receptor signaling imperative in the governing function of the adrenal cortex in the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber L.)?

There is a need to fully know the physiology of Eurasian beaver due to its essential role in environmental homeostasis. However, a "human factor" impacts this, including stress conditions and environmental pollution. Adrenal glands protect these all. The regulation of endocrine processes by nonclassical androgen and estrogen signaling, the first and fastest control, is still a matter of research. The specific analyses performed here in mature female and male beaver adrenals contained: anatomical and histological examinations, expression and localization of membrane androgen receptor (zinc transporter, Zinc- and Iron-like protein 9; ZIP9) and membrane estrogen receptor coupled with G protein (GPER), and measurement of zinc (Zn2+) and copper (Ca2+) ion levels and corticosterone levels. We revealed normal anatomical localization, size, and tissue histology in female and male beavers, respectively. Equally, ZIP9 and GPER were localized in the membrane of all adrenal cortex cells. The protein expression of these receptors was higher (p < 0.001) in male than female adrenal cortex cells. Similarly, Zn2+ and Ca2+ ion levels were higher (p < 0.05, p < 0.01) in male than female adrenal cortex. The increased corticosterone levels (p < 0.001) were detected in the adrenal cortex of females when compared to males. The present study is the first to report the presence of nonclassical androgen and estrogen signaling and its possible regulatory function in the adrenal cortex of Eurasian beavers. We assume that this first-activated and fast-transmitted regulation can be important in the context of the effect of environmental physical and chemical stressors especially on adrenal cortex cells. The beaver adrenals may constitute an additional supplementary model for searching for universal mechanisms of adrenal cortex physiology and diseases.

Investigation of simian virus 40 (SV40) and human JC, BK, MC, KI, and WU polyomaviruses in glioma

The gliomagenesis remains not fully established and their etiological factors still remain obscure. Polyomaviruses were detected and involved in several human tumors. Their potential implication in gliomas has been not yet surveyed in Africa and Arab World. Herein, we investigated the prevalence of six polyomaviruses (SV40, JCPyV, BKPyV, MCPyV, KIPyV, and WUPyV) in 112 gliomas from Tunisian patients. The DNA sequences of polyomaviruses were examined by PCR assays. Viral infection was confirmed by DNA in situ hybridization (ISH) and/or immunohistochemistry (IHC). The relationships between polyomavirus infection and tumor features were evaluated. Specific SV40 Tag, viral regulatory, and VP1 regions were identified in 12 GBM (10.7%). DNA ISH targeting the whole SV40 genome and SV40 Tag IHC confirmed the PCR findings. Five gliomas yielded JCPyV positivity by PCR and DNA ISH (2.7%). However, no BKPyV, KIPyV, and WUPyV DNA sequences were identified in all samples. MCPyV DNA was identified in 30 gliomas (26.8%). For GBM samples, MCPyV was significantly related to patient age (p = 0.037), tumor recurrence (p = 0.024), and SV40 (p = 0.045) infection. No further significant association was identified with the remaining tumor features (p > 0.05) and patient survival (Log Rank, p > 0.05). Our study indicates the presence of SV40, JCPyV, and MCPyV DNA in Tunisian gliomas. Further investigations are required to more elucidate the potential involvement of polyomaviruses in these destructive malignancies.

The potential role for infections in the pathogenesis of autoimmune Addison's disease

Autoimmune Addison's disease (AAD), or primary adrenocortical insufficiency, is a classical organ-specific autoimmune disease with 160 years of history. AAD is remarkably homogeneous with one major dominant self-antigen, the cytochrome P450 21-hydroxylase enzyme, which is targeted by both autoantibodies and autoreactive T cells. Like most autoimmune diseases, AAD is thought to be caused by an unfortunate combination of genetic and environmental factors. While the number of genetic associations with AAD is increasing, almost nothing is known about environmental factors. A major environmental factor commonly proposed for autoimmune diseases, based partly on experimental and clinical data and partly on shared pathways between anti-viral immunity and autoimmunity, is viral infections. However, there are few reports associating viral infections to AAD, and it has proved difficult to establish which immunological processes that could link any viral infection with the initiation or progression of AAD. In this review, we will summarize the current knowledge on the underlying mechanisms of AAD and take a closer look on the potential involvement of viruses.

Interplay between estrogen-related receptors and steroidogenesis-controlling molecules in adrenals. In vivo and in vitro study

Estrogen-related receptors (ERRs) α, β and γ appear to be novel molecules implicated in estrogen signaling. We blocked and activated ERRs in mouse (C57BL/6) adrenals and adrenocortical cells (H295R) using pharmacological agents XCT 790 (ERRα antagonist) and DY131 (ERRβ/γ agonist), respectively. Mice were injected with XCT 790 or DY131 (5 μg/kg bw) while cells were exposed to XCT 790 or DY131 (0.5 μg/L). Irrespectively of the agent used, changes in adrenocortical cell morphology along with changes in lutropin, cholesterol levels and estrogen production were found. Diverse and complex ERRs regulation of multilevel-acting steroidogenic proteins (perilipin; PLIN, cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage; P450scc, translocator protein; TSPO, steroidogenic acute regulatory protein; StAR, hormone sensitive lipase; HSL and HMG-CoA reductase; HMGCR) was revealed. Blockage of ERRα decreased P450scc, StAR and TSPO expressions. Activation of ERRβ/γ increased P450scc, StAR and HMGCR while decreased HSL expressions. PLIN expression increased either after XCT 790 or DY131 treatment. Additionally, treatment with both XCT 790 or DY131 decreased activity of Ras/Raf, Erk and Akt indicating their involvement in control of morphology and steroidogenic function of cortex cells. ERRs are important in maintaining morpho-function of cortex cells through action in specific, opposite, or common manner on steroidogenic molecules.

Autoimmune Addison's disease - An update on pathogenesis

Autoimmunity against the adrenal cortex is the leading cause of Addison's disease in industrialized countries, with prevalence estimates ranging from 93-220 per million in Europe. The immune-mediated attack on adrenocortical cells cripples their ability to synthesize vital steroid hormones and necessitates life-long hormone replacement therapy. The autoimmune disease etiology is multifactorial involving variants in immune genes and environmental factors. Recently, we have come to appreciate that the adrenocortical cell itself is an active player in the autoimmune process. Here we summarize the complex interplay between the immune system and the adrenal cortex and highlight unanswered questions and gaps in our current understanding of the disease.

Overexpression of HSD17B4 exerts tumor suppressive function in adrenocortical carcinoma and is not associated with hormone excess

Aim

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is characterized with excessive hormone production. We therefore investigated expression of hormone-related genes in ACC.

Results

We queried status of 14 key genes directly involved in adrenal hormone production and found HSD17B4 expression was upregulated in 39% of ACC cases on top of all queried genes. Overexpression of HSD17B4 was significantly associate with a normo-hormonal phenotype. Constitutive HSD17B4 expression was higher in ACC cell line NCI-H295R than in adrenocortical small cell carcinoma cell line SW13. NCI-H295R cells with HSD17B4-knockdown (KD) demonstrated significantly inhibited proliferation, increased apoptosis, and increased cell cycle arrest. Enrichment analysis for mRNA expression in ACC samples with or without HSD17B4 overexpression showed significant change in p53 pathway. Replenish of HSD17B4 in SW13 cells and knockdown of HSD17B4 in H295R cells confirmed alterations in MDM4, ATR, and IE24 with alterations more contrasting in H295R cells. HSD17B4-KD inhibited cell invasion, migration and anchorage independent growth of NCI-H295R cells, but not of SW13 cells.

Materials and Methods

Clinical and genetic data of ACC samples were reproduced from the ACC dataset of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database using cBioPortal. Genes participating in adrenal hormone production were queried. Association between gene status and hormone release were studied and in vitro assays using RNA interference were carried out.

Conclusions

Overexpression of HSD17B4 exerted tumor suppressive function in adrenocortical carcinoma and was not related to hormone excess. Crosstalk between HSD17B4 and p53 warrants further investigation.

Detection of human JCPyV and BKPyV in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the GI tract

Previous studies have demonstrated that infection with human polyomavirus, such as JCPyV and BKPyV, might be associated with various human tumors. However, an association between human JCPyV and BKPyV infection and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has not been reported. The purpose of this study was to examine DLBCLs of the gastrointestinal tract for evidence of human polyomavirus infection. Nested PCR and DNA sequencing were employed for viral DNA detection and viral genotype identification. In addition, two viral proteins, the large tumor antigen (LT) and the major structural protein (VP1), were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Human JCPyV and BKPyV DNA was detected in 14 out of 16 tissue samples (87.5%), whereby nine cases were infected with JCPyV and five cases were infected with BKPyV. Both archetypal and rearranged genotypes of JCPyV and BKPyV were detected in the tissues. LT was detected in 11 tissue samples (68.75%). However, VP1 was not detected in any of the tissue samples. The presence of human JCPyV and BKPyV DNA and protein in DLBCL tissues of gastrointestinal tract were first reported in this study. The current results provide evidence of a possible association between human JCPyV and BKPyV infection and DLBCL.

Detection of human JCPyV and BKPyV in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the GI tract

Previous studies have demonstrated that infection with human polyomavirus, such as JCPyV and BKPyV, might be associated with various human tumors. However, an association between human JCPyV and BKPyV infection and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has not been reported. The purpose of this study was to examine DLBCLs of the gastrointestinal tract for evidence of human polyomavirus infection. Nested PCR and DNA sequencing were employed for viral DNA detection and viral genotype identification. In addition, two viral proteins, the large tumor antigen (LT) and the major structural protein (VP1), were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Human JCPyV and BKPyV DNA was detected in 14 out of 16 tissue samples (87.5%), whereby nine cases were infected with JCPyV and five cases were infected with BKPyV. Both archetypal and rearranged genotypes of JCPyV and BKPyV were detected in the tissues. LT was detected in 11 tissue samples (68.75%). However, VP1 was not detected in any of the tissue samples. The presence of human JCPyV and BKPyV DNA and protein in DLBCL tissues of gastrointestinal tract were first reported in this study. The current results provide evidence of a possible association between human JCPyV and BKPyV infection and DLBCL.

BK virus and human cancer: innocent until proven guilty

BK virus (BKV) is a polyomavirus that ubiquitously infects the human population. Following a typically subclinical primary infection, BKV establishes a life-long persistent infection in the kidney and urinary tract. BKV is known to reactivate and cause severe disease in immunosuppressed patients, particularly renal and bone marrow transplant patients. Infection of BKV in rodent animal models or cells in culture often results in tumor formation or transformation, respectively. When co-expressed with activated oncogenes, BKV large tumor antigen drives the transformation of primary human cells. An etiological role of BKV in human cancer, however, remains controversial. Multiple reports have demonstrated conflicting results in regards to the presence of BKV sequences and/or proteins in various tumor types. This review compiles the most recent findings of BKV detection in a number of human cancers. Due to the lack of conclusive causality data from these studies, there does not appear to be a definitive association between BKV and human cancers.

Primary bilateral adrenal B-cell lymphoma associated with EBV and JCV infection

Primary lymphoma of the adrenal gland is a rare and highly aggressive disease, with only a few reports in the literature. The pathogenesis is unknown, but detection of Epstein Barr virus (EBV) genome sequences and gene expression in some cases of primary adrenal lymphomas suggested the virus might be a causative agent of the malignancy. While investigating the presence of genome sequences of oncogenic viruses in a large series of adrenal tumors, both EBV and JC polyomavirus (JCV) DNA sequences were detected in a diffuse large primary bilateral B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the adrenal gland, which was diagnosed only at postmortem examination in a 77 year-old woman with incidentally discovered adrenal masses and primary adrenal insufficiency. The presence of both EBV and JCV genome sequences suggests the relevance of EBV and JCV coinfection in the pathogenesis of this rare form of B-cell lymphoma.