Urinary Virus Linked to Prostate Cancer

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Urinary Virus Linked to Prostate Cancer

WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD

on Tuesday, August 10, 2004

 

Aug. 10, 2004 -- A virus that normally lurks within the urinary system

without causing problems may contribute to the development of prostate cancer,

according to a new study.

Researchers found evidence of the virus, known as the BK virus, in abnormal

prostate tissue thought to be in the early stages of prostate cancer. Abnormal

cell changes within the prostate, known as atrophic lesions, are usually the

first step in the development of prostate cancer.

" The development of cancer is a multi-step process, " says researcher Michael

Imperiale, PhD, professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of

Michigan Medical School, in a news release. " Expression of BK viral protein

may be just one step among several genetic and environmental factors. We are not

saying that BK virus causes prostate cancer, but our results do suggest that

the virus plays a role in the transition from normal to uncontrolled growth of

prostate cells. "

Researchers say other studies have detected DNA from the BK virus in prostate

cancer cells, but this study is the first to pinpoint the location of the

virus to a precursor stage in the development of prostate cancer.

The BK virus normally does not cause problems in healthy individuals, but it

can cause serious kidney and bladder disease in people with impaired immune

systems, such as organ transplant recipients.

Virus 1 of Many Contributors to Prostate Cancer

In the study, which appears in the online edition of the journal Oncogene,

researchers analyzed 21 samples of prostate tissue from men who had their

prostates removed to prevent the spread of cancer.

They found that 71% of the prostate samples contained gene segments of the BK

virus.

A protein made from this gene was also found in 43% of the samples but only

in those with abnormal cell changes thought to be a precursor stage of prostate

cancer. The protein was not found in any normal or cancerous cells.

Although much more research is needed to confirm this relationship, Imperiale

says his working hypothesis is that the BK virus infects the cells lining the

prostate and transforms them into atrophic lesions, which under the right

conditions may trigger uncontrolled cell growth and eventually prostate cancer.

 

 

 

SOURCES: Das, D. Oncogene, advance online publication, July 19, 2004. News

release, University of Michigan Medical Center.

 

 

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