Presence of Merkel cell polyomavirus DNA and large-T antigen in keratinocyte carcinomas and its correlation with immunohistochemical markers p16, p53 and ki67

T R Bellott; Flávio Barbosa Luz; Anna Karoline Fausto da Silva; Rafael Brandão Varella; Mayra Carrijo Rochael; Rafaela Elvira Rozza-de-Menezes; Luciana Pantaleão

doi:10.1016/j.abd.2023.12.002

Presence of Merkel cell polyomavirus DNA and large-T antigen in keratinocyte carcinomas and its correlation with immunohistochemical markers p16, p53 and ki67

An Bras Dermatol. 2024 Mar 29:S0365-0596(24)00032-1. doi: 10.1016/j.abd.2023.12.002. Online ahead of print.

Authors

T R Bellott¹, Flávio Barbosa Luz², Anna Karoline Fausto da Silva³, Rafael Brandão Varella⁴, Mayra Carrijo Rochael³, Rafaela Elvira Rozza-de-Menezes⁵, Luciana Pantaleão³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitário Antônio Pedro, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, Brazil. Electronic address: thiagobellott@id.uff.br.
² Department of Dermatology, Hospital Universitário Antônio Pedro, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, Brazil.
³ Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitário Antônio Pedro, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, Brazil.
⁴ Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, Brazil.
⁵ Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitário Antônio Pedro, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, Brazil. Electronic address: rafaelarozza@id.uff.br.

PMID: 38555263
DOI: 10.1016/j.abd.2023.12.002

Abstract

Background: Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV), a human polyomavirus that is unequivocally linked to merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), has been found in association with keratinocytes carcinomas (KC), especially basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). Nevertheless, there is scarce information about the possible involvement of MCPyV in the development of KC.

Objectives: To assess the presence of MCPyV DNA and Large-T Antigen (LT-Ag) via Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Immunohistochemistry (IHC) in cases of KC, and to correlate its presence with immunohistochemical markers p16, p53, and ki67, tumor type and subtype, sun-exposed location, and epidemiological data.

Methods: The prevalence of MCPyV DNA, LT-Ag, and immunohistochemical markers p16, p53, and ki67 was assessed by PCR and Immunohistochemistry (IHC) in 127 cases of KC, these results were correlated with tumor type and subtype, sun-exposed location, and epidemiological data.

Results: The MCPyV DNA was detected in 42.57% (43 of 101) cases by PCR, the LT-Ag was detected in 16.4% (20 of 122) of cases, p16 in 81.5% (97 of 119), p53 in 66.4% (83 of 125), ki67 in 89% (73 of 82). No correlation between MCPyV LT-Ag and DNA confronted with tumor type, subtype, location site, and immunohistochemical markers was found. A single correlation between the MCPyV LT-Ag and cSCC tumors and peri-tumoral lymphocyte cells was noted.

Study limitations: Further steps need to be taken to better evaluate the MCPyV influence and its possible role in KC carcinogenesis, as the evaluation of the virus genome state, the gene sequence that encodes LT-Ag in the KC tumor cells, and in situ hybridization for viral DNA or RNA in these cells.

Conclusions: Despite the frequent detection of MCPyV in KC, the data available so far does not support the hypothesis of a causal relationship between them.

Keywords: Immunohistochemistry; Merkel cell polyomavirus; Skin neoplasms.