HUMAN-PAPILLOMAVIRUS, EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS, HUMAN-HERPESVIRUS-8 AND HUMAN CYTOMEGALOVIRUS INVOLVEMENT IN SALIVARY-GLAND TUMORS

Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are involved in the etiology of both beni gn and malignant epithelial lesions. The occurrence of HPV types 16 an d 18 in gynecological squamous cell carcinomas is also well known. Of the herpesviruses, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is associated with, for ex ample, undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma, endemic Burkitt's ly mphoma and immunoblastic lymphoma, and human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) wit h Kaposi's sarcoma. As little is known about the etiological factors o f salivary gland tumours, the presence of HPV, EBV, HHV-8 and human cy tomegalovirus (CMV) in these tumours were examined. Fresh tissue sampl es obtained from 19 consecutive pleomorphic adenomas and 19 malignant salivary gland tumours were analyzed with polymerase chain reaction. T wo samples showed EBV DNA positivity, a lymphoma of the parotid gland and a pleomorphic adenoma arising in the nasal cavity. HPV, HHV-8 and CMV DNA were not detected in any of the tumour samples. The results in dicate that HPV, HHV-8 and CMV do not seem to have any role in the eti ology of salivary gland neoplasms. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.