Role of oncornaviruses in carcinoma of the prostate

The existence of oncornavirus genetic information in human prostatic tissue was studied by assaying tissue extracts for products of viral gene expression (ie, the p30 antigen). Tissue samples from patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or prostatic carcinoma (CaP) were assayed by the competetive radioimmunoassay. The competing antigens used were p30 proteins derived from the simian sarcoma virus type-1 (SSV-1) and the Rauscher murine leukemia virus (RLV). Of the 40 extracts tested, three of 20 extracts from BPH patients and one of 20 from CaP patients competed with the SSV-1 p30 antigen and only one of ten extracts from BPH patients competed with the RLV p30 antigen. The significance of these findings has yet to be established.