title: Human papillomavirus infection correlates with inflammatory Stat3 signaling activity and IL-17 level in patients with colorectal cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major burden of public health and healthcare worldwide. Microbiota has been suggested in promoting chronic inflammation in the intestine which, in turn, promotes tumor development. This study focuses on possible correlations of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection with proinflammatory Stat3 signaling activities and the resulting levels of its downstream proinflammatory cytokine IL-17 in CRC patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  HPV was examined using HPV Genotyping Chip technology and constitutively active Stat3 (p-Stat3) and IL-17 levels were tested using immunohistochemistry (IHC) in paraffin-embedded cancerous and adjacent normal tissues (ANT) from a cohort of 95 CRC patients. Correlation analyses were performed between HPV infection and clinicopathological characteristics, Stat3 activities and IL-17 levels among these CRC patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three major findings were observed: (1) HPV infection existed in a high rate of CRC cases (48.4%, 46/95), of which 45 cases (45/46, 97.8%) were high-risk HPV16-positive and only one case was HPV53-positive. (2) HPV infection correlated with poorer clinical stages (III+IV) of CRC. (3) HPV infection strongly correlated with both constitutively higher Stat3 activities (P<0.01) and higher IL-17 levels (P<0.01) only in CRC tissues but not in ANT tissues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HPV infection is common in CRC patients suggesting potentially preventive effectiveness of HPV vaccination among high-risk young individuals. We have for the first time revealed a tri-lateral relationship among HPV infection, constitutive Stat3 activity and IL-17 level, whose collaborative act may orchestrate a proinflammatory microenvironment in the colorectum that, in turn, may promote carcinogenesis and possibly facilitate progression of CRC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology/the Key Laboratories for Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China.
authors.forename: Yi Xin
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology/the Key Laboratories for Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China; Changzhou Children's Hospital, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology/the Key Laboratories for Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China; Key Laboratory of Chinese Ministry of Education, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China.
authors.forename: Dilixia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Simayi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology/the Key Laboratories for Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China.
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology/the Key Laboratories for Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China; Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology/the Key Laboratories for Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China; Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China.
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology/the Key Laboratories for Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China; Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology/the Key Laboratories for Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China; Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China.
authors.forename: Yun Zhao
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology/the Key Laboratories for Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China; Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology/the Key Laboratories for Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China; Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, Xinjiang, China.
authors.forename: Wen Jie
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D020381:Interleukin-17; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C494086:STAT3 protein, human