The major E6/E7 transcript of HPV-16 in exfoliated cells from cervical neoplasia patients.
HPV-16 is implicated in the development of progressive cervical neoplasia, and E6 and E7 proteins of this virus play important roles in its oncogenic activity. Reverse transcriptase-nested-polymerase chain reaction (RT-nested PCR) method was applied to detect the major transcript (E6*I/E7) from E6/E7 ORFs of HPV-16 in the exfoliated cervical and vaginal cells from cervical neoplasia patients. The incidence of the E6*I/E7 transcript was proportional to the class of cytologic diagnosis. Further analysis revealed that the incidence of the E6*I/E7 transcript in Pap smears of class I or II was 5/28 (18%) patients who had previously been diagnosed as having cervical neoplasia but was 1/37 (3%) patients who had never been diagnosed (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that some patients followed up for cervical neoplasia were infected with transcriptionally active HPVs even when their Pap smears were negative. In addition, the E6*I/E7 transcript could not be detected after surgical treatment in any of the cases that were able to be followed up. The E6*I/E7 transcript in the exfoliated cells may prove valuable for epidemiological studies of the pathogenesis of HPV infection.
Fujii
T
T
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan.
Tsukazaki
K
K
Kiguchi
K
K
Kubushiro
K
K
Yajima
M
M
Nozawa
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001483:Base Sequence; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D050725:Papillomavirus E7 Proteins; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000378:metabolism; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D014621:Vagina / Q000166:cytology / Q000821:virology; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*
C068651:E6 protein, Human papillomavirus type 16; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral; D050725:Papillomavirus E7 Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012367:RNA, Viral; D012097:Repressor Proteins; C059731:oncogene protein E7, Human papillomavirus type 16