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Abstract
The sarcoid is a benign locally invasive dermal fibroblastic lesion, commonly affecting
horses and donkeys. The aetiology of the equine sarcoid is equivocal. Bovine papillomaviral
(BPV) DNA (type 1/2) is frequently demonstrable in equine sarcoid tumour biopsies.
However, the exact role of the virus in the disease process and its contribution to
the phenotypic differences in sarcoids is not known. It was sought to assess the transcriptional
activity of BPV-1 found in sarcoid tissues. Of 20 tumours examined, 18 were positive
for E2 expression and ten positive for L1 expression. Viral oncogenes E5, E6 and E7
transcripts were detected in 16, nine and 12 tumours, respectively. This study demonstrates
BPV gene expression in equine sarcoids and provide the first evidence for a direct
involvement of the virus in the pathogenesis of sarcoids.