Simian virus 40 and human pleural mesothelioma

<h3>BACKGROUND</h3> An aetiological role for Simian virus 40 (SV40) in malignant mesothelioma has been suggested from studies in the USA and the UK but results have been conflicting. A study was undertaken to look for evidence of SV40 in stored tissue samples from pleural mesotheliomas. <h3>METHODS</h3> DNA was extracted from paraffin embedded tissue. The presence of DNA was established by amplification of a 250 bp product from the betaglobin gene. Primers PYV.F and PYV.R were used in a concentration of 50 per mol each per reaction to amplify a 172 bp fragment of a conserved region of SV40 that codes for a portion of large T antigen that is common to SV40 and other polyoma viruses. <h3>RESULTS</h3> Twelve of the 17 samples contained amplifiable betaglobin DNA. None of the samples (0/12, 95% CI 0 to 26.5%) was positive for the polyoma large T antigen. <h3>CONCLUSIONS</h3> These results do not lend any support to the hypothesis that SV40 infection may be aetiologically relevant to the increasing incidence of mesothelioma in the UK.