Interferons and their receptors in human papillomavirus lesions of the uterine cervix.
OBJECTIVE
In this study we analyzed the immunohistochemical expression of specific types of interferon (IFN) in human papillomavirus (HPV) associated cervical lesions.


METHODS
Reactivity to anti-IFN-alpha,-beta and -gamma and to anti-IFN-alpha/beta- and gamma-receptors was tested in 33 cervical punch biopsies from 24 HPV-infected women and nine healthy controls. The HPV-infected cases were subdivided into low-risk and high-risk groups, according to the known "oncogenic" potential of the HPV-types detected by PCR.


RESULTS
Cervical epithelium and stroma in HPV-negative as well as low-risk HPV-positive samples were diffusely stained by anti IFN-alpha, beta and gamma antibodies. In contrast, a significantly lower percentage of high-risk HPV-infected tissues was immunoreactive to IFN-beta in the stroma and IFN-gamma in the epithelium. There were no relevant differences between control and HPV cases in the expression of IFN-receptors.


CONCLUSIONS
We show that a decreased production of some specific classes of IFN is associated with high-risk-type HPV lesions suggesting an important role of IFN distribution patterns in the pathogenesis of HPV lesions.
Cintorino
M
M
Institute of Pathological Anatomy and Histology, University of Siena, Italy.
Tripodi
S A
SA
Romagnoli
R
R
Ietta
F
F
Ricci
M G
MG
Paulesu
L
L
D000328:Adult; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000032:analysis; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000032:analysis; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000032:analysis; D007372:Interferons / Q000032:analysis*; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017471:Receptors, Interferon / Q000032:analysis*; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology
D016898:Interferon-alpha; D017471:Receptors, Interferon; D016899:Interferon-beta; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D007372:Interferons