Research

Mesothelioma mortality in Europe: impact of asbestos consumption and simian virus 40

Katharina Leithner^1* , Andreas Leithner^2* , Heimo Clar² , Andreas Weinhaeusel³ , Roman Radl² , Peter Krippl⁴ , Peter Rehak⁵ , Reinhard Windhager² , Oskar A Haas⁶ and Horst Olschewski¹

¹  Department of Pulmonology, University Clinic of Internal Medicine, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria

²  Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria

³  Molecular Diagnostics, ARCS Seibersdorf, Seibersdorf, Austria

⁴  Department of Oncology, University Clinic of Internal Medicine, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria

⁵  Division of Biomedical Engineering and Computing, Department of Surgery, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria

⁶  Children's Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), St. Anna Children's Hospital, Vienna, Austria

author email corresponding author email* Contributed equally

Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases 2006, 1:44doi:10.1186/1750-1172-1-44

Published:	7 November 2006

Abstract

Background

It is well established that asbestos is the most important cause of mesothelioma. The role of simian virus 40 (SV40) in mesothelioma development, on the other hand, remains controversial. This potential human oncogene has been introduced into various populations through contaminated polio vaccines. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the possible presence of SV40 in various European countries, as indicated either by molecular genetic evidence or previous exposure to SV40-contaminated vaccines, had any effect on pleural cancer rates in the respective countries.

Methods

We conducted a Medline search that covered the period from January 1969 to August 2005 for reports on the detection of SV40 DNA in human tissue samples. In addition, we collected all available information about the types of polio vaccines that had been used in these European countries and their SV40 contamination status.

Results

Our ecological analysis confirms that pleural cancer mortality in males, but not in females, correlates with the extent of asbestos exposure 25 – 30 years earlier. In contrast, neither the presence of SV40 DNA in tumor samples nor a previous vaccination exposure had any detectable influence on the cancer mortality rate in neither in males (asbestos-corrected rates) nor in females.

Conclusion

Using the currently existing data on SV40 prevalence, no association between SV40 prevalence and asbestos-corrected male pleural cancer can be demonstrated.