Cytomegalovirus DNA in non-glioblastoma multiforme brain tumors of infants.

Purpose: CMV antigens have been detected in some brain tumors specially glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). As brain tumors in the first years of life are among the most aggressive neoplasms with poor prognosis, novel therapeutic options like targeted therapy against virus antigens are demanded. Infantile central nervous system tumors, other than GBM, have not been so far studied for CMV. To our best knowledge, this is the first study in which the presence of CMV-DNA, as a potential viral target for therapy, in non-GBM infantile brain tumors has been investigated.

Methods: The paraffin blocks of non-GBM brain neoplasms of 36 infants (age < 24 months) who were operated on between 2006 and 2016 were examined for CMV-DNA, using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Paraffin blocks of CMV infected lung tissue were used as positive control. Extraction and amplification of β2 microglobulin gene from each tumor tissue were carried as positive internal control. We also assayed 25 paraffin blocks of meningomyelocele for CMV DNA as negative tissue controls.

Results: Histopathological diagnoses consisted of 13 glial/neuroglial tumors (36.1%), 8 ependymomas (22.2%), 7 medulloblastomas (19.4%), 3 choroid plexus tumors (8.3%), 2 atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors (5.6%), 2 embryonal CNS tumors (5.6%), and 1 germ cell tumor (2.8%). We could not detect CMV DNA in all samples examined.

Conclusion: Although CMV may be associated with GBM, no role could be proposed for this virus in development of non-GBM infantile brain tumors. Further investigations on larger series of brain tumors should be conducted to confirm or rule out our conclusion.