ABSENCE OF HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS DNA IN BREAST-CANCER AS REVEALED BY POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION

Oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18 commonly associat ed with cervical cancer are found in many epithelial malignancies at e xtra-genital sites including breast. The transforming gene products of HPV have also been shown to immortalize breast epithelial cells in vi tro. But the findings of HPV DNA in breast carcinoma are found to be c ontradictory. In the present study fine needle aspirate cell (FNAC) sa mples from 26 breast cancer patients and four breast tumour biopsies w ere analysed for the presence of HPV 16 and 18 DNA sequences by both p olymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Southern blot hybridization. Of 26 fine needle aspirate cell samples and four breast cancer biopsies, not a single sample was found to be positive by either PCR or Southern bl ot hybridization. The observation of complete absence of HPV DNA seque nces in breast cancer refute the possibility of any role for oncogenic genital HPV types 16 and 18 in the pathogenesis of breast cancer.