Can Bovine Leukemia Virus Be Related to Human Breast Cancer? A Review of the Evidence

MARTINEZ CUESTA L; LENDEZ P; NIETO FARÍAS MV; DOLCINI G; CERIANI C

JOURNAL OF MAMMARY GLAND BIOLOGY AND NEOPLASIA

SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS

Año: 2018 vol. 8

1083-3021

The incidence of breast cancer is continuously increasing worldwide, as influenced by many factors that act synergistically. In thelast decade there was an increasing interest in the possible viral etiology of human breast cancer. Since then, many viruses havebeen associated with this disease (murine mammary tumor virus, MMTV; Epstein-Barr virus, EBV; and human papillomavirus,HPV). Recently, BLV has been identified in human breast cancers giving rise to the hypothesis that it could be one of thecausative agents of this condition. BLVis a retrovirus distributed worldwide that affects cattle, causing lymphosarcoma in a smallproportion of infected animals. Because of its similarity with human retroviruses like HTLVand HIV, BLV was assumed to alsobe involved in tumor emergence. Based on this assumption, studies were focused on the possible role of BLV in human breastcancer development. We present a compilation of the current knowledge on the subject and some prospective analysis that isrequired to fully end this controversy.