Lack of association of human polyomaviruses with human brain tumors

Abstract
Brain tumors, primarily glioblastoma multiforme, were examined for the presence of BKV DNA. DNAs extracted from 33 fresh-frozen tumors and from an additional 47 paraffin-embedded tumor tissues were tested for BKV sequences using two different primer pairs. One primer pair amplified highly conserved sequences in the early region coding for BKV and JCV T antigens. The other primer pair amplified the regulatory region of BKV-IR, a variant previously associated with human brain tumors. None of the tumors were positive for BKV or JCV DNA.