Exploring the presence of bovine leukemia virus among breast cancer tumors in a rural state
Dr. Jessica Cintolo-Gonzalez
Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is a deltaretrovirus that causes lymphomas and lymphosarcomas in cattle and had a high prevalence among large scale US dairy herds. Associations between presence of BLV DNA in human mammary tissue and breast cancer incidence have been reported. A study at the University of Vermont, a rural state with an active dairy industry, investigated the presence of BLV DNA in fresh-frozen breast cancer tissue samples and in known positive control samples, including blood from BLV positive cattle. On PCR, none of the breast cancer tissue samples tested positive for BLV DNA, despite consistent signals in positive controls. The authors conclude that the prevalence of BLV in human breast tumors is low.
