Analysis of the presence of cutaneous and mucosal papillomavirus types in ductal lavage fluid, milk and colostrum to evaluate its role in breast carcinogenesis.
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.
Cazzaniga
Massimiliano
M
Division of Chemoprevention, European Institute of Oncology, Via Ripamonti 435, 20141 Milan, Italy.
Gheit
Tarik
T
Casadio
Chiara
C
Khan
Noureen
N
Macis
Debora
D
Valenti
Francesco
F
Miller
Mara Jo
MJ
Sylla
Bakary S
BS
Akiba
Suminori
S
Bonanni
Bernardo
B
Decensi
Andrea
A
Veronesi
Umberto
U
Tommasino
Massimo
M
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
D004279:DNA, Viral