Investigation of Human Urine for Genomic Sequences of the Primate Polyomaviruses Simian Virus 40, BK Virus, and JC Virus

Recent reports of the detection of simian virus 40 (SV40) nucleotide sequences in ependymomas, choroid plexus tumors, osteosarcomas, and mesotheliomas have raised the possibility that SV40, which naturally infects Asian macaques, is circulating among humans. This possibility was examined by performing polymerase chain reaction assays on urine samples of 166 homosexual men, 88 of them human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-seropositive, for genomic...