Search for proviral simian sarcoma associated virus sequences in bone marrow cells from children with neoplasms of mesenchymal origin.

ABSTRACT

DNAs obtained from bone marrow cells of 31 children with neoplasms of mesenchymal origin were tested for the presence of proviral simian sarcoma associated virus by southern blot-hybridization. The lower limit of detection in this method was one provirus per 20-30 cells. Applying stringent conditions of hybridization, no proviral DNA could be detected in any of the samples tested, most of which were from children with leukemia or with bone marrow invading lymphosarcomas. Relaxed conditions of hybridization revealed a diffuse pattern of hybridizing fragments which was similar in all DNAs tested, including normal human DNA.