TROPHOBLASTS ARE THE PREFERENTIAL TARGET FOR HUMAN PAPILLOMA-VIRUS INFECTION IN SPONTANEOUSLY ABORTED PRODUCTS OF CONCEPTION

In a recent study it has been shown that human papillomavirus (HPV) in fection was threefold more prevalent in spontaneous abortion specimens compared with elective specimens (60% [15 of 25] v 20% [3 of 15], res pectively) as analyzed by broad-spectrum HPV polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and dot-blot hybridization with an HPV-16 probe. In this study, archival paraffin-embedded tissue from a subset of prev iously analyzed spontaneous abortion cases were reanalyzed by in situ PCR amplification so that the specific cells infected by HPV could be identified. In the current study, using a new PCR primer set for HPV-1 6 E6, the status of six previously analyzed cases were verified (five HPV-positive and one negative). Furthermore, syncytiotrophoblasts were identified as the predominant cellular target of HPV (HPV-16 or a rel ated type). Finally, four of four third-trimester placentas similarily analyzed gave no HPV-positive signal. Trophoblasts are the cell type that maintains placental contact with maternal tissue and through whic h nutrient exchange occurs. This knowledge prompts the hypothesis that HPV-infected trophoblasts may have altered characteristics, which may lead to a compromised gestation. Copyright (C) 1998 by W.B. Saunders Company.