
@article {82354,
	title = {Merkel Cell Polyomavirus in Merkel Cell Carcinoma: Integration Sites and Involvement of the KMT2D Tumor Suppressor Gene.},
	journal = {Viruses},
	volume = {12},
	year = {2020},
	month = {2020 Aug 31},
	abstract = {<p>Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an uncommon, lethal cancer of the skin caused by either Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) or UV-linked mutations. MCPyV is found integrated into MCC tumor genomes, accompanied by truncation mutations that render the MCPyV large T antigen replication incompetent. We used the open access HPV Detector/Cancer-virus Detector tool to determine MCPyV integration sites in whole-exome sequencing data from five MCC cases, thereby adding to the limited published MCPyV integration site junction data. We also systematically reviewed published data on integration for MCPyV in the human genome, presenting a collation of 123 MCC cases and their linked chromosomal sites. We confirmed that there were no highly recurrent specific sites of integration. We found that chromosome 5 was most frequently involved in MCPyV integration and that integration sites were significantly enriched for genes with binding sites for oncogenic transcription factors such as LEF1 and ZEB1, suggesting the possibility of increased open chromatin in these gene sets. Additionally, in one case we found, for the first time, integration involving the tumor suppressor gene , adding to previous reports of rare MCPyV integration into host tumor suppressor genes in MCC.</p>
},
	issn = {1999-4915},
	doi = {10.3390/v12090966},
	author = {Arora, Reety and Choi, Jae Eun and Harms, Paul W and Chandrani, Pratik}
}
@article {66090,
	title = {Merkel cell polyomavirus is implicated in a subset of Merkel cell carcinomas, in the Indian subcontinent.},
	journal = {Microb Pathog},
	year = {2019},
	month = {2019 Oct 07},
	pages = {103778},
	abstract = {<p>Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare, lethal cancer histopathologically composed of cells showing similarity with mechanoreceptor Merkel cells. Merkel cell tumors manifest in two distinct forms. While a virus called Merkel cell polyomavirus is involved in the pathogenesis of one form of Merkel tumor, the other is driven by ultraviolet (UV)-linked mutations. In this study we investigated 18 cases, from the Indian population, of Merkel cell carcinoma for immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV) T antigen, including 12 cases tested by PCR, to identify viral etiopathology. We tested the tumors with two sensitive antibodies (CM2B4 and Ab3), targeting the viral large T antigen protein and with PCR primers targeting the N terminus of T antigen. Overall, we observed 38.8\% (7/18) tumors displaying positive IHC expression of Merkel cell polyomavirus T antigen and 25\% (3/12) tumors showing positive results, by both, immunohistochemistry and PCR. This constitutes the first report from India showing implication of MCV in Merkel cell carcinomas. Moreover, this is one of the larger series of Merkel cell carcinomas, tested for MCV, by both immunohistochemistry and PCR, in this part of the world. These results further indicate that a slightly more number of such cases in India are likely to be caused by UV-linked damage, as opposed to Merkel cell polyomavirus mediated tumorigenesis, which is definitely implicated in a subset of cases.</p>
},
	issn = {1096-1208},
	doi = {10.1016/j.micpath.2019.103778},
	author = {Arora, Reety and Rekhi, Bharat and Chandrani, Pratik and Krishna, Sudhir and Dutt, Amit}
}
