Role of Human Endogenous Retroviruses in Lymphoma Pathogenesis and a Possible Biomarker of Disease

Actively replicating retroviruses entered hominid species millions of years ago and through mutations preventing replication now exist as 8% of the human genome. Active retroviral particles and antigens from the supposedly dormant human endogenous retrovirus, HERV-K (HML2), have been identified in several cancer cell lines. We have recently demonstrated very high RNA titers of HERV-K (HML2) in the plasma of HIV positive individuals by nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) and RT-PCR. We now demonstrate very high HERV-K (HML2) RNA titers in the plasma of patients with HIV positive and HIV negative non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and in Hodgkin Disease (HD), but not in normal individuals. Different copies of HERV-K (HML-2) present throughout the human genome exist as Type 1 viruses which encode a new oncoprotein, NP9, or as Type 2 viruses which encode a functional envelope (env) and express the Rec oncoprotein. Both Types 1 and 2 viruses appear in NHLs but only Type 1 appears in the plasma of those with HD. HERV-K (HML2) Env and Gag proteins, Env and Gag RNA, and Reverse Transcriptase (RT) activity are isolated from patients with a variety of NHLs, but not in normal controls or in patients with non-malignant diseases. Viral titers dramatically decrease, up to an approximately 7.5 log drop, when patients with NHL or HD go into remission following treatment. To further establish the presence of functional viruses in NHL and HD, immuno-gold electron microscopy allowed demonstration of HERV-K (HML2) particles in the plasma of lymphoma patients. Preliminary analysis of the effect of antiretroviral agents on cell lines infected with HERV-K (HML2) demonstrate a drug class-specific reduction in viral expression at drug concentration levels that range from 0.125 – 1 mcg/mL. In conclusion, we have demonstrated evidence that human endogenous retroviruses are found in the plasma of patients with NHL and HD, suggesting that these viruses, previously presumed to be inactive, may play a role in lymphoma pathogenesis. The observation that viral expression parallels declines in disease activity with treatment of disease may allow use of HERV-K (HML2) expression as a biomarker of lymphoma activity. The role of the HERV-K (HML2)-encoded oncoproteins in disease pathogenesis is under study, as is the potential role of antiretroviral therapy for these malignancies.