Mucosal Alpha-Papillomaviruses are not associated with Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinomas: Lack of Mechanistic Evidence from South Africa, China and Iran and from a World-Wide Meta-Analysis.
Type
ArticleAuthor/s
Halec GSchmitt M
Egger S
Abnet CC
Babb C
Dawsey SM
Flechtenmacher C
Gheit T
Hale M
Holzinger D
Malekzadeh R
Taylor PR
Tommasino M
Urban MI
Waterboer T
Pawlita M
Sitas F
Abstract
Epidemiological and mechanistic evidence on the causative role of human papillomaviruses (HPV) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is unclear. We retrieved alcohol- and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded ESCC tissues from 133 patients seropositive for antibodies against HPV ...
See moreEpidemiological and mechanistic evidence on the causative role of human papillomaviruses (HPV) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is unclear. We retrieved alcohol- and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded ESCC tissues from 133 patients seropositive for antibodies against HPV early proteins, from high-incidence ESCC regions; South Africa, China, and Iran. With rigorous care to prevent nucleic acid contamination, we analyzed these tissues for the presence of 51 mucosotropic human alpha-papillomaviruses by two sensitive, broad-spectrum genotyping methods, and for the markers of HPV-transformed phenotype: (i) HPV16/18 viral loads by quantitative real-time PCR, (ii) type-specific viral mRNA by E6*I/E6 full-length RT-PCR assays and (iii) expression of cellular protein p16INK4a . Of 118 analyzable ESCC tissues, 10 (8%) were positive for DNA of HPV types: 16 (four tumors); 33, 35, 45 (one tumor each); 11 (two tumors); and 16, 70 double infection (one tumor). Inconsistent HPV DNA+ findings by two genotyping methods and negativity in qPCR indicated very low viral loads. A single HPV16 DNA+ tumor additionally harbored HPV16 E6*I mRNA but was p16INK4a negative (HPV16 E1 seropositive patient). Another HPV16 DNA+ tumor from an HPV16 E6 seropositive patient showed p16INK4a up-regulation but no HPV16 mRNA. In the tumor tissues of these serologically preselected ESCC patients, we did not find consistent presence of HPV DNA, HPV mRNA or p16INK4a up-regulation. These results were supported by a meta-analysis of 14 other similar studies regarding HPV-transformation of ESCC. Our study does not support the etiological role of the 51 analyzed mucosotropic HPV types in the ESCC carcinogenesis.
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See moreEpidemiological and mechanistic evidence on the causative role of human papillomaviruses (HPV) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is unclear. We retrieved alcohol- and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded ESCC tissues from 133 patients seropositive for antibodies against HPV early proteins, from high-incidence ESCC regions; South Africa, China, and Iran. With rigorous care to prevent nucleic acid contamination, we analyzed these tissues for the presence of 51 mucosotropic human alpha-papillomaviruses by two sensitive, broad-spectrum genotyping methods, and for the markers of HPV-transformed phenotype: (i) HPV16/18 viral loads by quantitative real-time PCR, (ii) type-specific viral mRNA by E6*I/E6 full-length RT-PCR assays and (iii) expression of cellular protein p16INK4a . Of 118 analyzable ESCC tissues, 10 (8%) were positive for DNA of HPV types: 16 (four tumors); 33, 35, 45 (one tumor each); 11 (two tumors); and 16, 70 double infection (one tumor). Inconsistent HPV DNA+ findings by two genotyping methods and negativity in qPCR indicated very low viral loads. A single HPV16 DNA+ tumor additionally harbored HPV16 E6*I mRNA but was p16INK4a negative (HPV16 E1 seropositive patient). Another HPV16 DNA+ tumor from an HPV16 E6 seropositive patient showed p16INK4a up-regulation but no HPV16 mRNA. In the tumor tissues of these serologically preselected ESCC patients, we did not find consistent presence of HPV DNA, HPV mRNA or p16INK4a up-regulation. These results were supported by a meta-analysis of 14 other similar studies regarding HPV-transformation of ESCC. Our study does not support the etiological role of the 51 analyzed mucosotropic HPV types in the ESCC carcinogenesis.
See less
Date
20152015
Publisher
International Journal of CancerShare