HPV Virus Treatments

Dahlstrand HM, Dalianis T. Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institute, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.

Tonsillar cancer is the most common of the oropharyngeal carcinomas and human papillomavirus (HPV) has been found to be present in approximately half of all cases. Patients with HPV-positive tonsillar cancer have been observed to have a better clinical outcome than patients with HPV-negative tonsillar cancer. Moreover, patients with tonsillar cancer and a high viral load have been shown to have a better clinical outcome, including increased survival, compared to patients with a lower HPV load in their tumors. Recent findings show that HPV-positive tumors are not more radiosensitive and do not have fewer chromosomal aberrations than HPV-negative tumors, although some chromosomal differences may exist between HPV-positive and -negative tonsillar tumors. Current experimental and clinical data indicate that an active antiviral cellular immune response may contribute to this better clinical outcome. These data are also in line with the findings that the frequency of tonsillar cancer is increased in patients with an impaired cellular immune system. Thus, therapeutic and preventive HPV-16 antiviral immune vaccination trials may be worthwhile, not only in cervical cancer, but also in tonsillar cancer.

Eur J Gynaecol Oncol. 2005;26(1):5-19.

Immunohistochemistry in assessment of molecular pathogenesis of cervical carcinogenesis.

Syrjanen KJ. Unit of Cytopathology, National Center of Epidemiology, Surveillance and Promotion of Health, National Institute of Health (ISS), Rome, Italy.

Concerning the prediction of HPV-associated cervical disease, several importance issues are related both to the management of women with diagnosed CIN and those with cervical cancer. Oncogenic HPVs are capable of contributing to the development of malignant phenotype by several different mechanisms, most of which seem to be closely interrelated. Because of the fact that these molecular interactions are mediated by proteins, the logical strategy to dissect the complex molecular pathways is to study the functions of these proteins, utilising the capabilities of immunohistochemistry (IHC). IHC offers practically unlimited possibilities to study any target molecules, against which a monoclonal or polyclonal antibody can be raised. This review describes the IHC-based strategies used by this author to assess the molecular pathogenesis of cervical cancer and its precursors in a number of large-scale prospective cohort studies conducted during the past 25 years. In the ongoing HPV-PathogenISS study, 13 different markers are being tested to evaluate their predictive value in distinct viral events, e.g. persistence or clearance of high-risk HPV in women treated for CIN. Apart from getting new insights into the molecular pathogenesis of HPV-associated cervical carcinogenesis, we anticipate the disclosure of individual markers, a set of markers, or an expression profile of any such marker sets that would be of clinical value as predictors of disease outcome in cervical carcinogenesis.

Cancer Genet Cytogenet. 2005 Apr 1;158(1):27-34.

The role of viral integration in the development of cervical cancer.

Yu T, Ferber MJ, Cheung TH, Chung TK, Wong YF, Smith DI. Division of Experimental Pathology and Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 800C Hilton, 200 First Street, S.W., Rochester, MN 55905, USA.

The development of invasive cervical cancer is associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and subsequent integration into the host epithelium. More than 99% of cervical cancers contain HPV sequences, and many of these contain a truncated HPV genome integrated into a single position within the host genome. Studies examining the role of viral integration in cervical cancer development have found that the sites of integration appear randomly distributed throughout the genome. This, and the observation that it frequently takes years after HPV infection for cervical cancer to develop, has led to the current paradigm that the site of HPV integrations is unimportant to the invasive cervical cancer that eventually develops. In our previous studies of HPV16 and HPV18 integration in cervical cancers, we also found integrations throughout the genome, but observed as well that more than half of the integrations occurred within common fragile site regions. To determine if HPV integration might play an important role in cervical cancer, we conducted two complementary studies. We first localized 40 new HPV16 integration sites from cervical tumors from women in Hong Kong; this, together with previous integration studies, provided a better picture of the distribution of integration sites throughout the genome. We then analyzed the sites of viral integration in an in vitro model of HPV integration. By comparing the sites of HPV integration in vivo (in multiple primary cervical tumors) to those obtained in vitro, the data can help to determine if HPV integrations observed in vivo are the result of random and nonselected integrations.

Nurs Times. 2005 Mar 1-7;101(9):38-41.

The role of viruses and sexual transmission in anal cancer.

Dunleavey R. St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, Australia.

Research has focused on the link between sexual activity, viral infection and cervical cancer. However, a parallel situation can be seen with anal cancer. Although less common than cervical cancer, anal cancer is a significant problem among certain groups. In the male homosexual population it occurs in 35 out of every 100,000 men, a figure comparable with the rate of cervical cancer in women before cervical screening programmes were instigated (Klenke and Palefsky, 2003). This article discusses the pathology, incidence and management of the disease and considers the role of viruses in its development, specifically human papilloma virus (HPV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Publication Types:
• Review
• Review, Tutorial

Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2005 Mar 5;149(10):518-22.

Human papillomavirus in the aetiology of skin cancer

HPV Virus Treatments - Article in Dutch

At present, human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is chiefly known for its causal relationship with cervical cancer. Apart from genital types, the papillomavirus family consists of numerous human cutaneous types. The majority belongs to the so-called epidermodysplasia-verruciformis(EV)-HPV types that are potentially involved in skin cancer development. Non-melanoma skin cancers, especially cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma contain HPV DNA (30-60%). In immune-suppressed organ transplant recipients this percentage increases up to 90. Recent epidemiological studies show a statistically significant association between EV-HPV infection and squamous cell carcinoma. In addition recent experimental studies show specific EV-HPV types have a potential to transform cells that is comparable to high-risk genital HPV types. These data indicate that cutaneous HPV infections and squamous cell carcinoma development are associated.

Publication Types:
• Review

HPV Virus Treatments - Influence of HPV on Cancer Links

Cervical Cancer - Read about some risk factors associated with cervical cancer.

Division of Cancer Epidemiology - Read a survey of breast and other types of cancer and its correlation with HPV.