HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS INFECTION IN NORWEGIAN WOMEN WITH CERVICAL-CANCER

The objective of the present study was to determine the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections in Norwegian women with cervical cancer. We used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Southern blot techniques to assess the prevalence of HPV in cervical biopsies of 13 3 women admitted to the Norwegian Radium Hospital for treatment of cer vical cancer. At the time of sampling (from February 1988 to April 198 9) about 85% of Norwegian women with cervical cancer were treated at t he Norwegian Radium Hospital. HPV was found in biopsies of 91 (68%) of women with cancer; 70 (53%) biopsies contained HPV type 16, 19 (14%) HPV type 18, 4 (3%) HPV type 33, 2 (1.5%) HPV type 11, and 3 (2%) HPV DNA of unknown type (HPVX). Five percent of biopsies were doubly infec ted, chiefly with HPV 16+18. We found a significant association betwee n HPV 18 and low age, poorly differentiated tumors and adenocarcinomas . Our results show that there is an association between HPV types 16 a nd 18 and cervical cancer also in a Norwegian setting. PCR was more se nsitive than Southern blotting for detection of HPV. Thirty-six (27.5% ) of cancer biopsies were positive by PCR but negative by Southern blo tting, as against 49 (73.5%) positive by both methods; we also encount ered 4 samples positive by Southern blotting and negative by PCR. In 2 3/53 cancer biopsies positive by Southern blotting we found evidence f or integrated or rearranged HPV genomes.