Impact of human papillomavirus infection on the expression of the KAI1 metastasis suppressor protein in invasive cervical cancer

Downregulation of KAI1 metastasis suppressor protein is associated with dis mal prognosis in a variety of cancers. Mutation of p53 was suggested to be involved in KAI1-downregulation. In cervical cancer, p53 is inactivated by human papillomavirus (HPV) oncoprotein E6 with the grade of inactivation de pending on the HPV type. KAI1-expression was immunohistochemically determin ed in 67 specimens of cervical cancer, HPV-typing was performed using polym erase chain reaction (PCR), cloning, and sequencing. KAI1-downregulation wa s found in 68.1% of patients, HPV-infection in 91%. There was no associatio n of KAI1-downregulation and infection with a particular HPV type. KAI1-dow nregulation in cervical cancer seems independent of HPV-E6 induced p53 inac tivation. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.