Evaluation of xenotropic murine leukemia virus and its R426Q polymorphism in patients with prostate cancer in Kerman, southeast of Iran.

A role for the xenotropic murine leukemia virus (XMRV) in prostate cancer development has been postulated. To answer questions regarding the prevalence of XMRV in Iranian patients with prostate cancer and its association with the RNASEL R462Q polymorphism, we here investigated a series of cases in Kerman, in the Southeast of Iran, and sought to verify the association with the R462Q using Real Time PCR Method. Prostate tissue specimens of 200 patients with prostate cancer were genotyped for R462Q by real time polymerase chain reaction allelic discrimination and were screened for XMRV proviral DNA by real time polymerase chain reaction specific for the envelope gene. Of 200 patients in this study 8 (4%) cases were positive for XMRV, the QQ allele being the most frequent regarding the R426Q polymorphism while in negative patients it was the RQ allele. There was significant correlation between high pathological scores and XMRV positive samples. No significant relationship was found between age groups and XMRV results. XMRV was only found in patients with QQ and RQ alleles, not RR. XMRV is detectable in tumor prostate tissue from some patients with prostate cancer, independent of R462Q.