SV40 T-antigen expression in acute non-lymphocytic leukaemia.

Susceptibility to SV40 virus infection has been suggested as an in vitro marker of predisposition to leukaemia and possibly other cancers in man. To evaluate this relationship, sporadic as well as familial cases of acute non-lymphocytic leukaemia were tested. Among skin fibroblast lines from 22 patients without family history of leukaemia, eight had values above the 95% confidence limit for the normal control population. In four leukaemia-prone families, elevated T-antigen expression was found in all four patients tested and in three-quarters of 36 blood relatives. In addition, elevated values were found in two of three cases of acute myelogenous leukaemia associated with constitutional cytogenetic anomalies, and in all three cases with preleukaemic haematologic disorders. Since SV40 T-antigen expression was elevated in most persons prone to acute non-lymphocytic leukaemia, as well as over one-third of sporadic cases, heritable risk factors may be involved in both groups.