Human papillomavirus in endometrial adenocarcinomas: infectious agent or a mere "passenger"?
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the possible association of human papillomavirus (HPV) with endometrial hyperplasias and neoplasia. Does HPV play any role in the initiation or prognosis of endometrial adenocarcinomas?


METHODS
Twenty-five endometrial adenocarcinomas of the endometrioid cell type, with and without squamous differentiation, and twenty-four endometrial hyperplasias of various forms (simple, complex, and atypical) were analyzed for the presence of type 16 and 18 HPV by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The results were related to histopathological features of the tumour, and the patients' age, and prognosis.


RESULTS
Six of 25 endometrial adenocarcinomas were HPV 16-positive (24%), and 5 of 25 (20%) were HPV 18-positive. Simple endometrial hyperplasias was associated somewhat more commonly with HPV 16 and 18 (2/8 and 1/8 cases, resp.) than hyperplasias progressing to endometrial adenocarcinomas, namely, atypical endometrial hyperplasia (1/8 and 0/8 cases, resp.). None of the positive cases in the series, whether hyperplastic or neoplastic, demonstrated cytological evidence of HPV infection. There was no relation between HPV-positive cases and squamous differentiation, depth of myometrial invasion, lymphatic involvement, lymphocytic response, patients' age, or prognosis.


CONCLUSIONS
It appears that the presence of HPV in the endometrium, as detected by PCR, does not play any role in the initiation or prognosis of endometrial adenocarcinoma.
Giatromanolaki
A
A
Department of Pathology, Democritus University of Thrace Medical School, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece. targ@her.forthmet.gr
Sivridis
E
E
Papazoglou
D
D
Koukourakis
M I
MI
Maltezos
E
E
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D052162:Human papillomavirus 16 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D052161:Human papillomavirus 18 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D004279:DNA, Viral