The association of herpes viruses to leukemia in some iraqi patients

Viruses, also known as oncoviruses, capable of transforming cells into a malignant phenotype. These viruses encode oncogenes that can be inserted into the mammalian genome causing transformation. This study was aimed to detect three types of herpes viruses HHV 4, HHV 6 and HHV 8 sequences in leukemia patients and healthy individuals to evaluate the role of these viruses in leukemia arise, and to determine the best way to detect the virus particles in human sera and blood. The present work were obtained four types of leukemia, Acute Lymphoid Leukemia (ALL), Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), Chronic Lymphoid Leukemia (CLL) and Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML). The Samples of blood were taken from 75 Iraqi patients newly diagnosed affected with one of the four types of leukemia aged between (2-63) years, and twenty-five healthy control subjects ages between (8-62) year were analysis by molecular genetic methods. During the period from August 2012 till May 2013. The viral DNA extraction from serum by QI Aamp Ultra Sens Virus Kit from Qiageen/Germany was found more suitable and sensitive to detect the present viruses than the genomic DNA extraction from whole blood, further amplified by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). PCR products were analyzed by electrophoresis on 2% agarose gels. The present study detected EBV serologically in serum of patients and controls by the MONO mononucleosis rapid test. The results revealed the molecular way was more effective and sensitive that EBV detect in serology in 2.7% but with molecular methods detect in 19% of samples. These percentage of EBV divided on the four types of leukemia in different numbers, 12% in ALL, 3% in AML, 4% in CLL, where there was no positive samples to HHV-6 and HHV-8.