title: Correlation between human papillomavirus positivity and p53 gene overexpression in adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix.
abstract: In the pathogenesis of cervical squamous cell carcinoma, an inverse correlation between human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and mutation of the p53 anti-oncogene has been suggested. Much less is known of a possible correlation in the case of adenocarcinoma of cervix. Twenty-five cervical adenocarcinomas and 7 adenosquamous carcinomas were analyzed for presence of HPV DNA sequences and overexpression of the p53 gene. Polymerase chain reaction revealed that 11 were positive for HPV DNA (34%). Seven were positive for HPV 16 and 5 for HPV 18. A mixed infection with HPV 16 and 18 was observed in 1 case. Patients with HPV-positive carcinoma were significantly younger than those with HPV-negative carcinoma (43 +/- 13.3 years versus 57 +/- 17.4 years, P = 0.01). Immunohistochemical staining showed that p53 was overexpressed in 11 of 32 cases (34%). Overexpression of the p53 gene was found in only 1 of 11 HPV-positive cases (9%) yet was evident in 10 of 21 HPV-negative cases (48%). This inverse association was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Prognostic analysis revealed that HPV-negative adenocarcinomas had a poorer prognosis than HPV-positive cases (P < 0.01) and that tumors with p53 overexpression also had a poorer prognosis than those without such overexpression (P < 0.01). Our observations suggest that HPV-negative or p53-positive adenocarcinomas may be a biologically distinct subset with a poorer prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Saga Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uchiyama
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwasaka
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Matsuo
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hachisuga
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sugimori
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001483:Base Sequence; D018196:Carcinoma, Adenosquamous / Q000737:chemistry / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011379:Prognosis; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D004279:DNA, Viral; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53