Case-control study of Merkel cell polyomavirus infection and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma
Menée aux Etats-Unis, cette étude (173 cas et 300 témoins) évalue l'association entre une infection par le polyomavirus à cellules de Merkel et le risque de carcinome cutané spinocellulaire
Background: Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV) DNA has been reported in 0-25% of squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) occurring in immunocompetent individuals. We conducted the first serological case-control study of MCV and SCC. Methods: Patients with histologically-confirmed cutaneous SCC (n=173) were recruited from a university dermatology clinic. Controls were individuals who screened negative for and had no history of skin or other cancers (n=300). Levels of antibodies against capsid antigens for MCV and another polyomavirus, JC virus (JCV), were determined by fluorescent bead-based multiplex serology. Fresh-frozen tumor tissues were obtained from 145 SCC cases and tested for MCV DNA using multiplexed PCR. Associations between MCV seroreactivity and SCC were estimated by odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) calculated using logistic regression with adjustment for age and sex. Results: MCV DNA was detected in SCC tumor tissues from 55 (38%) of 145 cases. A statistically significant association was observed between MCV seropositivity and MCV DNA-positive SCC (OR=2.49, 95% CI=1.03-6.04), with an almost four-fold association observed when comparing those with MCV antibodies in the fourth versus first quartiles (OR=3.93, 95% CI=1.43-10.76, ptrend=0.01). No significant associations were observed between MCV seropositivity and MCV DNA-negative SCC (OR=1.38, 95% CI=0.76-2.48) or between JCV seropositivity and MCV DNA-positive or DNA-negative SCC. Conclusion: Past exposure to MCV may be a risk factor for SCC. Impact: Understanding the role of viral infections in the development of non-melanoma skin cancer could lead to novel prevention strategies.