SPECIFIC CHROMOSOMAL IMBALANCES IN HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS-TRANSFECTED CELLS DURING PROGRESSION TOWARD IMMORTALITY

High risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) known to be closely associated with cervical cancer, such as HPV16 and HPV18, have the potential to immortalize human epithelial cells in culture. Four lines of HPV-trans fected keratinocytes were analyzed by comparative genomic hybridizatio n at different time points after transfection. A number of chromosomal imbalances was found to be highly characteristic for the cultures pro gressing toward immortality. Whereas several of these were new and pre viously not found as recurrent aberrations in cervical tumors, some we re identical to chromosomal changes observed during cervical carcinoge nesis. The data put new emphasis on the studied cell system as a relev ant model for HPV-induced pathogenesis.