Human papillomavirus types 16 and 18 mRNA levels and not DNA levels may be associated with advancing stages of cervical cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Human papillomavirus (HPV) contributes to the development of cervical cancer. We hypothesize that HPV DNA and messenger RNA (mRNA) levels may be associated with increasing stages of cervical cancer.


METHODS
In this study, we measured DNA and mRNA viral loads of the most common high-risk HPV-16 and HPV-18 in cervical biopsy tissue of women with cervical neoplasia using real-time polymerase chain reaction.


RESULTS
Median HPV-16 and HPV-18 DNA viral loads were 58,342 copies and 71,367 per 5000 cells, respectively. We found that HPV-16 and HPV-18 DNA levels did not correlate with advancing tumor stage (P = 0.977 and P = 0.263). Messenger RNA transcripts were detected in 81 (86%) of HPV-16 DNA-positive women and in 16 (84.2%) of HPV-18-positive women. Median HPV-16 and HPV-18 transcript copy numbers were 5964 and 6158, respectively. In women with squamous cell carcinoma, HPV-16 mRNA loads showed an increasing but not statistically significant trend with advancing disease stage (rho = 0.231, P = 0.058).


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that HPV mRNA levels and not DNA levels may be associated with advancing stages of cervical cancer.
Gnanamony
Manu
M
Department of Clinical Virology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.
Peedicayil
Abraham
A
Subhashini
John
J
Ram
Thomas Samuel
TS
Christopher
Solomon
S
Gravitt
Patti
P
Abraham
Priya
P
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D052162:Human papillomavirus 16 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D052161:Human papillomavirus 18 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D050725:Papillomavirus E7 Proteins; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology; D019562:Viral Load; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology
D004279:DNA, Viral; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral; D050725:Papillomavirus E7 Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C059731:oncogene protein E7, Human papillomavirus type 16