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Analysis of adenocarcinoma of the colon and rectum: detection of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA by polymerase chain reaction.

Pérez LO, Abba MC, Laguens RM, Golijow CD

Centro de Investigaciones en Genética Básica y Aplicada (CIGEBA), Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina. prezluis@yahoo.com.ar

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present work was to evaluate the presence of human papillomavirus genotypes in malignant and normal mucosa of the colon and rectum in order to determine if a relationship exists between HPV infection and colon neoplasms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty normal colon tissues and 54 sporadic adenocarcinomas were screened for HPV positivity using nested-PCR. Detection of viral types 6, 11, 16, 18, 33, 34 and 51 was performed by the LIS-SSCP (Low Ionic Strength-Single Strand Conformational Polymorphism) procedure. RESULTS: Significant differences in high risk HPV infection were found between normal samples and adenocarcinomas (P < 0.001). Among the cases, an inverse association between HPV infection and Dukes staging was also found (P = 0.020). Finally, there was no significant association between HPV and some classical clinicopathological features, although a gradient of infection form rectum to cecum was evident. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates that HPV may infect the glandular mucosa of the colon and suggests a possible association between HPV and colorectal cancer.

Published 19 August 2005 in Colorectal Dis, 7(5): 492-5.
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