Human mammary tumor virus in inflammatory breast cancer

• Published in: Cancer Vol. 116; no. S11; pp. 2741 - 2744
• Main Authors: Pogo, Beatriz G.‐T., Holland, James F., Levine, Paul H.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.06.2010; Wiley-Blackwell
• Subjects: Animals; Betaretrovirus - genetics; Biological and medical sciences; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - immunology; Breast Neoplasms - virology; Cell culture; Female; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Homology; human mammary tumor virus; Humans; Inflammation; Inflammation - virology; inflammatory breast cancer; Invasiveness; Malignancy; Mammary gland diseases; Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental - virology; Mammary Tumor Virus, Mouse - genetics; Medical sciences; Mice; Mouse mammary tumor virus; RNA, Viral - analysis; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Tumors; viral oncogenesis; Human; viral oncogenesis; Breast disease; human mammary tumor virus; Breast tumor; Retroviridae; Breast cancer; Inflammation; Malignant tumor; Betaretrovirus; Carcinogenesis; Infection; Virus; Mammary gland diseases; inflammatory breast cancer; Cancerology; Viral disease; Mouse mammary tumor virus; Cancer
• ISSN: 0008-543X; 1097-0142; 1097-0142
• DOI: 10.1002/cncr.25179

The authors have found that retroviral sequences with 85% to 95% homology to the mouse mammary tumor virus were present in 40% of the sporadic breast cancers of American women. These sequences were not found in normal breasts or other tumors. A whole proviral structure was detected in 2 tumors. Breast cancer cells in culture were shown to contain and shed betaretroviral particles. This virus was designated human mammary tumor virus (HMTV). The authors have investigated the presence of HMTV sequences in a variety of breast conditions and geographic locations. Here they report that inflammatory breast cancer from American women shows a higher incidence of viral sequences (71%) than sporadic breast cancers. Similar incidence has been found in inflammatory breast cancers from Tunisia, and in gestational breast cancers. Because these conditions represent highly invasive malignancies, it is concluded that HMTV is sometimes associated with a particularly malignant phenotype. Cancer 2010;116(11 suppl):2741–4. © 2010 American Cancer Society. Retroviral sequences with high homology to the mouse mammary tumor virus have been found in 40% of the sporadic breast cancers of American women. The authors report that inflammatory breast cancer in American women shows a higher incidence of viral sequences (71%) than sporadic breast cancer. Similar incidence has also been found in inflammatory breast cancers from Tunisia.