HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUSES (HPV) ARE ASSOCIAT ED WITH MULTIPLE-MYELOMA

Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are small DNA tumor viruses, and are asso ciated with epithelial neoplasias. Although HPV are believed to be exc lusively permissive in terminally differentiated squamous cells, we ha ve previously identified HPV sequences in lymphoid tissues of five pat ients. Because this result suggested that the range of the host virus cells could include cells of lymphoid origin, we used PCR and in situ hybridization to analyze nonepithelial tissues of patients with multip le myeloma from two institutions. A statistically significant associat ion was established between HPV and multiple myeloma (p<0.001). This s tudy supports the hypothesis that HPV can infect lymphoid cells.