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Advocacy
> SV40 Virus: Does
it Cause or Promote Lymphomas?
Last update: 04/27/2006
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TOPIC
SEARCH PubMed: SV40
AND Lymphoma | SV40
- therapeutic vaccines? |
Updates
| Some Key Facts | Question
Needing Answers | References
| NIH Conflict of interest?
Here
we will post information related to the simian virus 40 (SV40) and it's
possible connection to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. We believe
there are compelling reasons to further explore the following: (1) how SV40 interacts
with human DNA ; (2) how it may spread from person to person; (3) how
this virus might potentially cause and/or promote lymphomas and
other cancers; (4) If SV40 contributes to drug resistance, for
example, by silencing p53, and; (5) how the SV40 antigen might be exploited as a
treatment target for immune-based therapies.

Updates:
 | No evidence for simian virus 40 DNA sequences
in malignant non-Hodgkin lymphomas.
Int J Cancer. 2006 Jan 15;118(2):498-504. PMID:
16052520
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 | Presence of simian virus 40 DNA sequences in
human lymphoid and hematopoietic malignancies and their
relationship to aberrant promoter methylation of multiple genes.
Cancer Res. 2004 Jun 1;64(11):3757-60. PMID:
15172980
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 | The Virus and the Vaccine ~ Investigational
journalists have written a book on the SV40 and it's possible role
in the increased incidence of lymphoma and other cancers. - thevirusandthevaccine.com
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 | Association between SV40 and non-Hodgkin's
lymphoma.
Leuk Lymphoma. 2003;44 Suppl 3:S33-9. PMID:
15202523 | Related
articles
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 | Higher incidence of Simian virus 40 in primary
gastric diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) than primary nodal
disease in Chinese patients, but of no prognostic implication.
ASCO 2004 ~ Abstract No: 6671
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 | Monkey Virus May Hold Clue to Blood Cancer - Cancerwise.org
2004
Examination of tumors in patients with newly diagnosed non-Hodgkin’s
lymphoma (NHL) found that half of them show evidence of monkey
virus DNA that may have originated from contaminated polio
vaccines, M. D. Anderson researchers say.
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Monkey virus (SV40) may hold clue for development
of common blood cancer ~
eurekalert.org
Mar 2004
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SV40: an emerging pathogen that's been around for
fifty years - vaccinationnews
- 2003 July/18
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SV40 in human brain cancers and non-Hodgkin's
lymphoma. Oncogene. 2003 Aug 11;22(33):5164-72.
Review. PMID: 12910253
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Simian virus 40 in human cancers - Summary of
report
American Journal of Medicine 1 June 2003, Volume 114, Issue 8
Pages 675-684
Regis A. Vilchez MD
Key: OR means odds ratio | CI means confidence interval
ODDS RATIO Of SV40 INFECTION IN CANCERS
=====================================
bone cancer OR = 25; 95% CI: 6.8 to 88
mesothelioma OR = 17; 95% CI: 10 to 28
NHL
OR = 5.4; 95% CI: 3.1 to
9.3 *
brain cancer OR = 3.9; 95% CI: 2.6 to 5.8)
Translation: This means that specimens from patients with NHL were 5 times
more likely to have evidence of SV40 infection than were the controls.
Confidence range: 3 to 9 times more likely.
* NHL results based on three studies with 301 cases and 578 control
samples.
Conclusion from report: These results establish that SV40 is associated significantly with brain
tumors, bone cancers, malignant mesothelioma, and non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
Studies are needed to assess current prevalence of SV40 infections.
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 | Polio vaccine: A team of Danish and American
researchers has found no carcinogenic link in the common polio
vaccine - cphpost.periskop.dk
April_03
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 | Lack of serological evidence for an association
between simian virus 40 and lymphoma.
Int J Cancer. 2003 Apr 10;104(4):522-4. PMID: 12584752 - PubMed
Serology - A blood test that detects the presence of
antibodies to a particular antigen
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 | Sewage Yields Clues to SV40 Transmission
- JAMA
Sep_18
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Immunization Safety Review Committee - iom.edu
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SLIDES & PRESENTATIONS (see below): SV40
Contamination of Polio Vaccine and Cancer Meeting Agenda - iom.edu
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 | Brief History and Important Questions
William Egan, PhD, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research,
FDA - PDF
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Some Key Details & Reports:
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SV40 usually infects rhesus monkeys.
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"SV40 is a known carcinogen. It targets the
lung's mesothelial cells, brain cells, bone cells and blood cells,
producing a protein that knocks out two human tumor-suppressor
genes, p53 and Rb. There is no reliable blood test for SV40
exposure." - WSJ 7-19-02
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 | "In animal models, the neoplasias induced
by SV40 included primary brain cancers, malignant mesotheliomas,
bone tumors and system lymphomas." - Vilchez, et al. Simian
Virus 40 in Human Cancers, June 2003, The American Journal of
Medicine, Vol 114
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 | SIMIAN VIRUS 40 (SV40): A POSSIBLE HUMAN
POLYOMAVIRUS WORKSHOP - Tuesday, January 28, 1997 -
FDA.gov
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 | Between 1955 and 1963 a polio vaccine
contaminated with SV40 was accidentally given to millions of
people. In the USA, vaccine lots received by about 20 states
are estimated to have contained 0·75-0·97 mL contaminated
vaccine per child, lots from about 15 states were thought to have
contained 0·01-0·74 ml contaminated vaccine per child, and about
15 states were believed to have received lots that were free from
SV40. - Dr.
Mercola
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 | High levels of SV-40 were identified in polio
vaccines in:
Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts,
Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Washington
DC, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Low levels of SV-40 were found in: Arizona, California, Colorado,
Georgia, Louisiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, New Mexico,
Ohio, Texas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Tennessee, and West
Virginia.
Source: National Institutes of Health, 1950's Contaminated Polio
Vaccines - A Deadly Cure By Geraldo Fuentes viewzone.com
9-16-00
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Recently, researchers scanned 99 lymphomas, 235
epithelial tumors and 40 control tissues for the virus.
They found the virus in:
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43% of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas,
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9% of Hodgkin's lymphomas,
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Importantly, no SV40 was found in the tissue
of healthy controls.
See Presence of simian virus 40 DNA sequences in
human lymphomas.
Lancet. 2002 Mar 9;359(9309):851-2. PMID: 11897287 - PubMed
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Importantly, a second reputable team
independently found the virus in 42% of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.
See below.
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 | "In March, however, researchers led by
Janet Butel of Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, reported that
42% of the non-Hodgkin lymphomas they analyzed contained genetic
sequences from SV40. And not just any SV40: In several tumors, it
was precisely the genome of the SV40 in the vials of the 1955
polio vaccine that Dr. Ratner had held onto, waiting for someone
to care. Lab-grown SV40 harbors a variant genome. There might be
other sources, in addition to vaccine, of this strain of SV40, but
to more and more scientists Dr. Butel's findings were the smoking
gun." - WSJ 7-19-02
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 | The incidence of NHL has nearly doubled over
the last 30 years.
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 | Between 1955 and 1961, an estimated nine
million Canadians, about half the adult population and most of the
children, were vaccinated, primarily with the Salk vaccine. The
incidence of NHL in Canada is high and has also risen.
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 | "Amid dueling data, some facts are
uncontested. An estimated two-thirds of the polio vaccines -- the
oral Sabin and the injected Salk -- administered from 1955 to 1963
contained SV40, including the vials Dr. Ratner saved. Contaminated
vaccine was also given to children and some adults in Australia,
Canada, Denmark and Germany, and possibly Russia, Mexico and other
countries." - WSJ 7-19-02
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 | June 2003: Specimens from patients with NHL
were 5 times more likely to have evidence of SV40 infection than
were the controls. Confidence range: 3 to 9 times more
likely. - Vilchez, et al. Simian Virus 40 in Human Cancers, June
2003, The American Journal of Medicine, Vol 114
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Question Needing Answers:
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If SV40 is a factor in causing NHL, is it
reasonable to assume that all clones of the original malignant
cell will also be positive for SV40? In NHL tissue sample
evaluated to date that are SV40+, is it known if all malignant
cells are SV40 positive, or some significant percentage?
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Do adjacent non-malignant cells also test
positive or negative for SV40?
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In SV40+ subjects, what types of cells are
typically infected? Are investigators finding in patients with
SV40-positive tumors that normal tissue or lymphocytes are also
infected with SV40?
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 | What technical or financial obstacles prevent
testing NHL pts and the general public for exposure to SV40 - it's
our hope that epidemiological studies can be conducted.
It's our understanding that these tests are required in order for
epidemiologists to determine if the Simian virus 40 virus is a
factor for the dramatic increase of NHL in the last 30 years.
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Since it was reported that some patients with
SV40-infected tumors were born after 1963, is SV40 continuing to
spread among humans in other ways?
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What has to be done to determine how SV40 might
be transmitted from person to person? Might animal studies provide
clues on the possible transmission of SV40 in humans?
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 | What is known about SV40 cancer causing
mechanisms?
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 | Does SV40 infection promote NHL or lead to
transformation?
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 | Is it possible to design treatments that target
cancers positive for SV40?
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 | What is the NIH doing to determine the
relationships between SV40 and NHL and what actions will they take
if it is proven to increase the risk of NHL?
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 | Does the NIH have a conflict of interest in
investigating this matter since the SV40-contaminated vaccine was
administered by the government?
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References
& Research News
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Simian Virus
40, poliovirus vaccines and human cancer: research progress versus
media and public interest, Butel - PDF
| PDF-Help Bulletin WHO 2000
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 | SV40,
Vaccines, and Human Cancers, Engles, NCI - PDF
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Simian 40 virus seen as entrenched in humans, but
oncogenicity disputed - Reuters
Health Jul_11
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SV40 virus found in human lymphoma samples eurekalert
| cancerfacts
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Presence
of SV40 DNA sequences in specific lymphomas - Lymphomas.rtf
(Lancet)
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Polyoma virus middle T and small t antigens
cooperate to antagonize p53-induced cell cycle arrest and
apoptosis. Cell Growth Differ. 2000 Jan;11(1):31-9. PMID:
10672901 - PubMed
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"The p53 protein is critical to normal
regulation of cell growth and is a suppressor of tumour cell
proliferation. Inactivation of the p53 gene may occur by a
number of mechanisms. These include genomic damage possibly
through cellular damage eg ionising radiation, missense
mutations, viral interaction eg simian virus 40 (SV40) large T
antigen, adenovirus E1b protein and papillomavirus E6 protein
or interactions with other cellular proteins eg MDM2. - novocastra.co.uk
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Simian
virus 40 and human malignancy: contamination of early polio
vaccine may be linked to rare tumours. (Editorial) Author/s:
S.C. Stenton - BMJ
1998
Good overview and background.
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Details about the Polio vaccine contamination: A
Deadly Cure By Geraldo Fuentes - viewzone.com
9-16-00
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Simian virus 40 and human cancer.
Monaldi Arch Chest Dis. 1998 Apr;53(2):198-201. Review.
PMID: 9689809 - PubMed
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Canadian-specific information: Cancer Linked to
Vaccine Fouled by Monkey Virus! Polio inoculation - Shelley
Page Ottawa Citizen
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Here's
some info on the potential to create a therapeutic vaccine for
SV40 cancers - mesothel.com
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Study Shows Possible Cancer Link Between Virus
and Fiber (how the sv40 virus works in mesothelioma, a brain
cancer) - Loyola
University Health System
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Epigenetic changes in virus-associated human cancers
- cell-research.com
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Conflict of Interest?
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VACCINE
SAFETY CONSUMER GROUP CITES CONFLICT OF INTEREST IN GOVERNMENT REPORT
ON CANCER & CONTAMINATED POLIO VACCINE LINK
THE NATIONAL VACCINE INFORMATION CENTER
512 West Maple Avenue, #206 Vienna, Virginia 22180
CONTACT: Barbara Loe Fisher 703-938-0342 for immediate release January
27, 1998
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The National Vaccine Information
Center is criticizing an article published in today's Journal of the
American Medical Association (JAMA) as an attempt by government
officials with conflicts of interest to prematurely dismiss the role
of polio vaccines contaminated with simian virus 40 (SV 40) in human
bone, brain and lung cancers. The National Vaccine Information Center
(NVIC) cites incomplete data and methodological flaws in the
government's analysis and points out that there is an inherent
conflict of interest in having government officials lead
investigations of health problems associated with vaccines which the
government researches, regulates and promotes for universal use.
"There are huge information gaps in data used
by the government to come up with the conclusion that simian virus 40
(SV40) contaminating early polio vaccines have not played a role in
human cancers. It is another example of bad science by government
officials using limited data to make the public believe they have the
answers before all the facts are in," said Barbara Loe Fisher,
co-founder and president of NVIC.
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