Detection of human papillomavirus types in cervical adenocarcinoma by the polymerase chain reaction

OBJECTIVE: To determine the human papillomavirus (HPV) types in cervical adenocarcinoma of patients from Taiwan. METHODS: DNA was extracted from fixed tissues and polymerase chain reaction was performed in conjunction with a unique probe, pRSA I, allowing simultaneous detection of HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31 and 33 from amplified HPV DNAs after endonuclease, RsaI, digestion. RESULTS: Of 69 tissues examined, 31.9% (22/69) were found to contain HPV DNA. Among 22 HPV-positive specimens, no HPV types 6, 11, 31 and 33 were detected. On the other hand, HPV 16 and HPV 18 were found in 11 (15.9%) and 10 (14.5%) of HPV-positive specimens, respectively. One specimen (1.5%) was found to contain both HPV 16 and 18 DNAs. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support that HPV 18, along with HPV 16, may play a certain role in the adenocarcinoma pathogenesis of the uterine cervix.