Frequency and clinical significance of human beta-herpesviruses in cervical samples from Italian women.
Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are necessary, but not sufficient, for the development of cervical cancer (CC). Human beta-herpesviruses (beta-HHVs) have been suggested as possible cofactors in the oncogenesis of CC. In this cross-sectional study, the prevalence and possible association of cytomegalovirus (CMV), HHV-6 and -7 with HPV presence was investigated by quantitative real-time PCR assays in cervical samples obtained from 208 italian women. The two most common high-risk HPV types found were 31 and 16. Overall, the positive rates for CMV, HHV-6 and HHV-7 were 66%, 25%, and 6%, respectively. In particular, the prevalence of CMV was found to be extremely high irrespective of either the cytological category or HPV positivity. The prevalence of HHV-6 DNA was significantly higher in high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) respect to normal women (P < 0.017); by contrast, the prevalence HHV-7 DNA was generally low and not associated with SIL. Copresence of CMV and HHV-6 DNA was found to be significantly higher in patients with SIL respect to normal women (P < 0.05). No correlation was demonstrated between the viral load of all three beta-HHVs and the different cytological stages or with the HPV presence. A few patients with severe disease however showed very high viral loads which for HHV-6 may be indicative of viral integration. In conclusion, this study suggests that CMV and HHV-7 alone are probably not implicated in the oncogenesis of CC whilst HHV-6 alone or together with CMV may contribute to the development of CC.
Department of Clinical Medicine and Prevention, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy. francesco.broccolo@unimib.it
Francesco
F
Broccolo
G
G
Cassina
S
S
Chiari
R
R
Garcia-Parra
A
A
Villa
B E
BE
Leone
A
A
Brenna
G
G
Locatelli
C
C
Mangioni
C E
CE
Cocuzza
D000818:Animals; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000473:pathology; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral; D005260:Female; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D016199:Herpesvirus 7, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D014709:Vero Cells
D004279:DNA, Viral