HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS INFECTION IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH BRONCHIAL-CARCINOMA - EVALUATION BY IN-SITU HYBRIDIZATION AND THE POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION

While a strong association between human papillomaviruses (HPVs) and s quamous cell cancers of the female genital tract is known to exist, th ere is substantial controversy regarding the relationship of HPV with other non-genital carcinomas. Recently there have been some reports fo cusing on a possible association of HPVs with bronchial carcinomas. Th ese studies mostly used either in situ hybridization (ISH) or the poly merase chain reaction (OCR). In view of these reports, 32 squamous cel l carcinomas (SCCs) and six small cell carcinomas of the bronchus were examined for the presence of HPV DNA by both techniques: ISH using S- 35-labelled, type-specific probes (HPV 6, 11, 16, 18), and PCR with co nsensus primers coding for more than 25 different HPV subtypes perform ed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded material. None of the 38 bronc hial carcinomas analysed was positive for HPV DNA, either by ISH or by PCR. On the other hand, additionally examined specimens of 15 cervica l carcinomas were positive for HPV 16 DNA in at least three cases by I SH (20 per cent) and in 12 cases by PCR (80 per cent). We conclude tha t common HPV types do no play an important role in the pathogenesis of bronchial carcinoma. (C) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.