Microbiology Society, Journal of General Virology, 8(96), p. 2286-2292, 2015
DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.000167
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Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) has been suspected to cause chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) but previous data are inconsistent. We measured seroreactivities of 9 polyomaviruses (MCPyV, BKPyV, JCPyV, LPyV, KIPyV, WUPyV, HPyV-6, HPyV-7 and TSPyV) in 359 CLL cases and 370 controls using bead-based multiplex serology technology. We additionally tested two herpesviruses (HSV-1 and CMV). Associations between disease and viral seroreactivities were assessed using logistic regression. All human viruses showed high seroprevalences (69-99%) against structural proteins in controls but significant lower viral seroprevalences in cases (58-94%; OR range=0.21-0.70, p-value<0.05), except for MCPyV (OR=0.79, 95%CI=0.54-1.16). Lower seroreactivity levels were observed among CLL subjects, with significant differences already observed at early stages of diseases, unrelated to treatment status. Seroreactivities against polyomaviruses related oncoproteins were almost null. Our data suggest no association for MCPyV polyomavirus with CLL development and an unlikely association for other polyomaviruses tested.