HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUSES IN CERVICAL-CANCER .1. HPV-16 AND HPV-18 PREDOMINATE IN THE GREEK POPULATION

Human papillomaviruses (HPV) and their role in carcinogenesis have bee n the subject of extensive investigation Specific types of HPV have be en associated with cervical carcinoma HPV 16 and 18 are mainly associa ted with malignant progression and considered ''high risk'' viruses Us ing Southern blot analysis and in situ hybridization we investigated t he presence of papilloma viruses in cervical carcinoma patients as wel l as appropriate controls. The results presented here support the aeti ological role of HPV 16 and 18 in cervical carcinoma and demonstrate t he prevalence of these viruses in Greek women. The role of viruses in carcinogenesis is well established in almost all species from fishes, to birds, to mammals. Although nor well circumstantiated, viruses prob ably play as great a role in human cancer as in other species The role of human papillomaviruses (HPV) not only in benign proliferations, br it also in a number of malignancies has long been postulated (1,2). Pr esently over 60 HPV types have been identified and there is evidence n ow associating specific types with certain human anogenital cancers, n otably cervical cancer (3,4). Advance neoplasias such as squamous cell carcinomas are associated with types, 16, 18 and 31, with type 16 pre vailing in these lesions (5,6). In this paper we shall present evidenc e which extends and confirms that previously reported on the prevalenc e of HPV 16 and 18 in Greek women.