title: Mutations in the mitochondrial DNA D-loop region are frequent in cervical cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is known for high mutation rates caused by lack of protective histones, inefficient DNA repair systems, and continuous exposure to mutagenic effects of oxygen radicals. Alterations in the non-coding displacement (D) loop of mitochondrial DNA are present in many cancers. It has been suggested that the extent of mitochondrial DNA mutations might be useful in the prognosis of cancer outcome and/or the response to certain therapies. In order to investigate whether a high incidence of mutations exist in mitochondrial DNA of cervical cancer patients, we examined the frequency of mutations in the D-loop region in 19 patients of cervical cancer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mutations, often multiple, were detected in 18 of 19 (95%) patients. The presence of mutations correlated with Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection in these patients. Mutations were also detected in normal samples and lymphocytes obtained from cervical cancer patients, but their frequency of occurrence was much lower as compared to the cervical cancer tissues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings indicate that D-loop alterations are frequent in cervical cancers and are possibly caused by HPV infection. There was no association of mtDNA D-loop mutations with the histopathological grade and tumor staging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 110029, India. himanisharma@rediffmail.com
authors.forename: Himani
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Archna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Chandresh
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Sunesh Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.forename: Neeta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Singh