Detection of human papillomavirus-16 DNA in archived clinical samples of breast and lung cancer patients from North Pakistan.
OBJECTIVE
Over the past few decades, human papillomavirus (HPV) has been recorded as a key player in the development of various genital cancers, most notably cervical cancer. It has also been associated with some non-genital cancers. A subset of oropharyngeal cancers are known to be caused by HPV. Its aetiological involvement has been suggested for breast and lung cancer as well. However, reports regarding the HPV DNA detection vary widely from different parts of the world. Due to scarcity of local data in this regard, the current study aimed at retrospective detection of HPV presence in the archival samples of breast and lung cancer patients from north part of the country.


METHODS
A total of 55 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections of invasive ductal carcinoma of breast (n = 46) and lung (n = 9) were collected for this study. Genotyping for HPV16 and 18 was carried out through PCR.


RESULTS
HPV16 DNA was found in both breast and lung carcinoma samples with the prevalence rate of 17 and 11 %, respectively. An interesting association was found between ER/PR (Oestrogen/Progesterone receptor) and HER2/Neu (Human epidermal growth factor receptor-2) positivity with HPV occurrence in breast tumours.


CONCLUSIONS
Current study shows the presence of HPV16 DNA in archived clinical biopsy sections from breast and lung cancers (17, 11 %), respectively. A positive correlation of HPV16 presence was found with ER/PR and HER2-positive breast cancers. These initial findings warrant further investigation in order to determine HPV prevalence and aetiological role in local cancers, especially in ER/PR/HER2-positive breast cancers on a larger scale.
Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Science's and Technology, H-12, Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan.
Naureen Ehsan
NE
Ilahi
Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Science's and Technology, H-12, Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan.
Sobia
S
Anwar
Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Science's and Technology, H-12, Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan.
Mamoona
M
Noreen
Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
Shoaib Naiyar
SN
Hashmi
Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Science's and Technology, H-12, Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan. s.mall@asab.nust.edu.pk.|Institute for Infection and Immunity, St George's University of London, London, UK. s.mall@asab.nust.edu.pk.
Sheeba
S
Murad
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D052162:Human papillomavirus 16 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D015995:Prevalence; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D004279:DNA, Viral
Breast cancer; Human papillomavirus; Lung cancer