Immunodeficiency-associated viral oncogenesis

Abstract

Several viruses with different replication mechanisms contribute to oncogenesis by both direct and indirect mechanisms in immunosuppressed subjects after solid organ, allogeneic stem cell transplantation or with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), human papillomavirus (HPV), Kaposi sarcoma herpes virus (KSHV), human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1), and Merkel cell Polyoma virus (MCV) are the main viruses associated with the development of cancer in immunosuppressed patients. Besides being a main cause of immunodeficiency, HIV type 1 also exerts a direct pro-oncogenic effect. In this review, we provide an update on the association between the condition of acquired immune deficiency/ies and cancer risk specifically addressing the oncogenesis by HPV, MCPyV, KSHV, HTLV-1, and EBV