title: Breast cancer and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection: no evidence of a viral etiology in a group of Swiss women.
abstract: There are controversial data on the meaning of viral induction of breast cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in patients with breast carcinoma and the correlation of viral infection with disease outcome. Paraffin-embedded sections from 81 patients with breast cancer were analyzed for HPV DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using the SPF1/2 primers covering about 40 different low-, intermediate- and high-risk types. We found all samples were negative for HPV DNA. Our analysis could not support a role of HPV in breast carcinoma. Controversial published data indicate a need for further, larger epidemiologic studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiooncology, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany. katja_lindel@med.uni-heidelberg.de
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lindel
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Forster
authors.forename: Hans J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Altermatt
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Greiner
authors.forename: Guenther
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gruber
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral