Prevalence and genotype identification of human JC Virus in colon cancer in Taiwan

Although JC virus (JCV), a human Polyomavirus, has been detected in colon cancers, the association between JCV and colon cancer remains controversial. In Taiwan, the prevalence of JCV infection in colon cancer patients has not been reported. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate JCV infection in colon cancers in Taiwan. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues from 22 colon cancer patients were examined in this study. Nested PCR was performed to detect viral genomic DNA. The product of the nested PCR flanking the JCV regulatory region was sequenced further. Viral large tumor protein, LT, and late capsid protein, VP1, were examined by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Nested PCR revealed JCV genomic DNA in 86.4% (19/22) of the colon cancer tissue samples. Both rearranged and archetypal genotypes of JCV were identified. Expression of JCV LT was positive in 63.6% (14/22) of the examined colon cancer tissue samples but not in any adjacent normal region. Expression of viral capsid protein VP1 was not detected in any of the tissues examined. The current study demonstrates that JCV genomic DNA was present in the examined colon cancer tissues. The genotypes of JCV in colon cancer tissues were also identified. Expression of viral early protein but not structural capsid protein was detected in the examined colon cancer tissues. Furthermore, a high prevalence of JCV infection in colon cancer tissues in Taiwan was also demonstrated.