ABSENCE OF HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS DNA FROM ESOPHAGEAL-CARCINOMA AS DETERMINED BY MULTIPLE BROAD-SPECTRUM POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTIONS

Strong evidence has implicated human papillomaviruses (HPV) in the pat hogenesis of anogenital cancers and a number of other mucosal and cuta neous lesions. Data concerning the involvement of HPV in esophageal ca ncers are controversial. Different investigators have detected HPV typ es (mainly types 16 and 18) in biopsy specimens of esophageal cancers. A study was undertaken to determine whether responses to chemotherapy of advanced squamous cell carcinomas could be correlated with the HPV status. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification was used for th e detection of HPV DNA in biopsies of esophageal squamous cell carcino mas treated with either surgical resection alone (n = 42) or chemother apy followed by surgical resection (n = 21). Different general and con sensus PCR primer sets, which allow the detection of most of the known as well as a number of not yet characterized HPV types, were used. HP V DNA was not detected in any of the 61 esophageal squamous cell carci nomas, suggesting that HPV infections are not likely to play a major r ole in the etiology of this neoplasm. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.