Characteristics of osteogenic sarcoma of hamsters induced by BK virus

Two out of 9 weanling hamsters, treated with intravenous inoculation of highly concentrated human papovavirus BK, propagated in human embryonic kidney cells, developed osteogenic sarcomas of the costal cage and the mandibula. The sera of the tumor-bearing animals were positive for BK T-antigen and the successively transplanted tumors were positive for intranuclear T-antigen when tested with anti-SV40 T-antibody by immunofluorescence. The tumor tissue exhibited various stages of maturation, from areas showing immature sarcoma and angiomatous sarcoma to those of well-differentiated osteogenic sarcoma. Tumor histology was described in detail.