title: Analysis of the presence of cutaneous and mucosal papillomavirus types in ductal lavage fluid, milk and colostrum to evaluate its role in breast carcinogenesis.
abstract: Several independent studies have presented evidence for the involvement of human papillomaviruses (HPV) in the aetiology of human breast cancer, while others have reported the opposite findings. Here, we have analysed by a high sensitive multiplex PCR-based method the prevalence of alpha mucosal and beta cutaneous HPV DNA in 90 ductal lavages, colostrum and milk. Ten of the 70 DLs analyzed (14%) contained a single or multiple beta HPV types, while DNA from mucosal high-risk HPV types was detected in only one sample (1/70). A strong reduction of HPV positivity in DL fluids was observed in 45 specimens collected after removal of the superficial layers of the nipple epidermis. All DLs were negative for the mucosal low-risk HPV types 6 and 11. Finally, HPV positivity was low in colostrum and milk. Our data show that DNA of alpha mucosa and beta cutaneous HPV types are rarely present in the breast fluids and suggest that a direct role of HPV in breast carcinogenesis is unlikely.
authors.affiliation: Division of Chemoprevention, European Institute of Oncology, Via Ripamonti 435, 20141 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cazzaniga
authors.forename: Tarik
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gheit
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Casadio
authors.forename: Noureen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Debora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Macis
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Valenti
authors.forename: Mara Jo
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Bakary S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Sylla
authors.forename: Suminori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akiba
authors.forename: Bernardo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bonanni
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Decensi
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Veronesi
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tommasino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000821:virology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology*; D003126:Colostrum / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D042361:Mammary Glands, Human / Q000821:virology; D008875:Middle Aged; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000821:virology*; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000378:metabolism*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral