Human papilloma virus detection and typing in 334 lung cancer patients.
BACKGROUND
Unlike cervical, anogenital and oropharyngeal cancers, where high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) has long been known to play a major role, a causative link between HPV and lung cancer has been investigated for decades with discrepant results.


METHODS
Lung cancer patients eligible for surgical treatment were tested for the presence of HPV-DNA in excised, fresh frozen lung tumor tissue. Patients that tested positive were further examined for the presence of HPV-DNA in adjacent normal lung parenchyma. HPV detection and genotyping was performed using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based approach and allowed the typing of 13 "high-risk"-HPV-types and 2 "low-risk"-HPV-types.


RESULTS
Of the 334 tumor-DNA samples tested, 13 (3.9%) showed presence of HPV-DNA, of which 12 were of a high-risk HPV type (16, 33, 66). In those tested positive, HPV-DNA was not found in adjacent normal lung tissue. No correlation with smoking or EGFR/KRAS mutation status was seen, and only one of 84 squamous cell carcinomas was HPV-positive.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that HPV is rarely associated with lung cancer in a Northern European population and in those tested positive, more functional studies are required to determine the role HPV plays in lung cancer oncogenesis.
Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, The Norwegian Radium Hospital , Oslo , Norway.
Camilla M T
CM
Sagerup
Dag Andre
DA
Nymoen
Ann Rita
AR
Halvorsen
Marius
M
Lund-Iversen
Aslaug
A
Helland
Odd Terje
OT
Brustugun
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); D018631:ras Proteins / Q000235:genetics
D004279:DNA, Viral; C117307:KRAS protein, human; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; C512478:EGFR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); D018631:ras Proteins