CARCINOMA OF THE UTERINE CERVIX ASSOCIATED WITH SCHISTOSOMIASIS AND INDUCED BY HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUSES

Objectives: To determine the presence of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) in cervical cancer among patients in Tanzania and to ascertain their prevalence in cases associated with schistosomiasis. Methods: In situ hybridization was applied to 31 carcinomas of the uterine cervix inclu ding 10 in which schistosomiasis co-occurred. Twenty-six cases in this series also exhibited koilocytic dysplasia. Results: Twenty-six out o f 31 cases revealed a specific hybridization for HPVs with varying den sity and distribution. A slightly higher labeling of HPV-16 than -18 w as demonstrated. All schistosomiasis-associated cancers encoded the pa pillomaviruses. The 31 patients were predominantly young adults, a fac t that reflects sexual activity at a very young age in the ethnic comm unities of Africa. Conclusion. These findings shed new light on the pr esumed etiologic implication of schistosomiasis in the genesis of cerv ical cancer. In the absence of HPV, schistosomiasis is not the oncogen ic causative agent for carcinoma of the uterine cervix.