Frequency of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) in benign and malignant tumors

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a widespread pathogen that is found in milk, saliva, urine, cervical secretions, and semen fluid. It is supposed that CMV is a risk factor for breast cancer. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of CMV among benign and malignant breast tumors. Paraffin embedded breast carcinoma (n=24) and fibroadenoma (n=24) samples were collected from Toos and Firoozgar hospitals in Tehran, Iran, during the year 2012. PCR technique was used to detect CMV genome in the samples following the DNA extraction. Out of 24 carcinoma samples, 2 (8.3%) were positive for CMV, while no CMV positive sample was found among fibroadenoma tumors. Statistic analysis showed no significant correlation between this virus and formation of either benign or malignant tumors of breast. The role of CMV in a number of human cancers has been shown during the past decade. This study shows no relationship between CMV infection and breast benign and malignant tumors. However, future studies are needed to better understand the role of this virus in formation of breast tumors.