Mumps, enteroviruses, and human acute pancreatitis

The presence of mumps virus and enterovirus RNA was studied by in situ hybridization in 15 surgical biopsy specimens from patients with acute pancreatitis. 35S-Labeled cRNA probes, detecting the 5' end of the poliovirus type 3, a 1.1-kb fragment of the polymerase gene region of coxsackievirus B3, and mumps virus mRNA, encoding the nucleocapsid protein, were used. The controls consisted of mumps virus-infected and uninfected cultured cells, normal human and mouse pancreatic tissue, and mouse tissue from experimental coxsackievirus B3-induced pancreatitis. No specific hybridization signal was observed in any of the acute pancreatitis cases. It is concluded that neither mumps virus nor enteroviruses tested were present in pancreatic tissue of advanced human acute pancreatitis.