HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS DNA IN ADENOCARCINOMA AND ADENOSQUAMOUS CARCINOMA OF THE UTERINE CERVIX DETECTED BY POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION (PCR)

Although human papillomaviruses (HPV) have been implicated strongly in the pathogenesis of squamous cell carcinomas of the uterine cervix, a few studies have suggested that HPV may be an etiological factor for adenocarcinoma of the cervix. To evaluate the association between HPV infection and cervical adenocarcinoma, we analyzed formalin-fixed, par affin-embedded tissues from 64 patients with adenocarcinoma or adenosq uamous carcinoma of the uterine cervix for the presence of HPV DNA usi ng polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with primers specific for the 6, 11 , 16, 18, 31, 33, and 35 types. HPV DNA was detected in 24 of 43 (56%) cases of adenocarcinoma, and in 19 of 21 (91%) cases of adenosquamous carcinoma. Fifteen of the 43 (35%) adenocarcinomas and 10 of the 21 ( 48%) adenosquamous carcinomas contained HPV 18 DNA, and 10 of the 43 ( 23%) adenocarcinomas and It of the 21 (52%) adenosquamous carcinomas c ontained HPV 16 DNA. One specimen was positive for HPV 31 and five con tained HPV 35 DNA, all but one as double infections with HPV 18. No ev idence of HPV 6, 11, or 33 DNA carriage was seen. These results sugges t that human papillomaviruses, particularly HPV 16 and 18, play a role in the etiology of cervical adenocarcinoma and adenosquamous carcinom a. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.