Detection of human herpesvirus 6 and human papillomavirus 16 in cervical carcinoma.
A subset of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) is associated with the majority of cervical cancers; however, cofactors appear to be required for carcinogenic progression of HPV-induced neoplasia. As human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) was recently shown to infect cervical epithelial cells in vitro and activate transcription of HPV-transforming genes, human cervical dysplasia and cancers were analyzed for the presence of HHV-6 by multiple methods, including polymerase chain reaction, slot blot, Southern blot, and in situ hybridization. HHV-6 DNA sequences were detected in 6 of 72 cases of squamous cervical carcinoma and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. HPV-16 was found in four of the HHV-6-positive cases (two squamous cervical carcinomas and two cervical intraepithelial neoplasias). None of the 30 normal cervices and biopsies of patients with cervicitis was positive for HHV-6 DNA. These results are the first suggestion of an in vivo association between HHV-6 and some cervical neoplasia.
Chen
M
M
Laboratory of Biology, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
Wang
H
H
Woodworth
C D
CD
Lusso
P
P
Berneman
Z
Z
Kingma
D
D
Delgado
G
G
DiPaolo
J A
JA
D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000821:virology*; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002577:Uterine Cervical Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000821:virology*; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000821:virology*
D004279:DNA, Viral