RARE ASSOCIATION OF HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS DNA WITH ESOPHAGEAL CANCER IN JAPAN

To examine whether human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA is associated with e sophageal cancer, frozen and paraffin-embedded neoplasms of the upper aerodigestive tract, including esophageal cancer, were investigated. D NA obtained from frozen specimens and cell lines were analyzed by both polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Southern blot hybridization. DNA from paraffn-embedded samples were analyzed strictly by PCR. DNA of HP V types 6 and 11 was detected in papillomas of the upper respiratory t ract at >50%. However, HPV DNA was infrequently detected in specimens from the upper digestive tract (31 esophageal cancers and 2 esophageal carcinoma-derived cell lines), even by PCR at a sensitivity of 0.1 co py number per cell. These results suggest that the etiologic significa nce of HPV infection in esophageal cancer is negligible.