title: [Human papillomavirus and the development of cervical cancer: concept of carcinogenesis].
abstract: Infection with high risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) plays a central aetiological role in cervical cancer. Still, cervical carcinogenesis is a multistep process which requires other events in addition to hrHPV infection. Recent data have resulted in the following concept of cervical carcinogenesis: hrHPV infects normal squamous epithelium. In most cases this will not lead to a lesion or at worst give rise to a regressing low grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). Both phenomena involve viral clearance. Only persistent hrHPV infections will lead to a high grade CIN lesion, a subset of which may undergo malignant transformation. At the transition of CIN 2 to CIN 3 deregulated expression of the viral oncogenes E6 and E7 takes place, resulting in genetic instability. Subsequently, activation of the telomere-lengthening enzyme, telomerase occurs, at the result of which cells obtain an infinite replication capacity. Ultimately, successive allele losses occur at different chromosomal locations which, followed by a clonal outgrowth result in an invasive carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Academisch Ziekenhuis Vrije Universiteit, afd. Pathologie, Amsterdam.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Walboomers
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Meijer
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Steenbergen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van Duin
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Helmerhorst
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Snijders
mesh_terms: D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D012307:Risk Factors; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000821:virology*; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000821:virology*