Prevalence of "unclassified" HPV genotypes among women with abnormal cytology.

Background: High risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) have been unequivocally recognised as the necessary cause of squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) and invasive carcinoma of the cervix. The distribution and the role of unclassified risk HPV genotypes in cervical neoplasia has not been fully elucidated.

Methods: Liquid-based cytological samples were collected from 337 women referred for colposcopy following an abnormal cytological diagnosis.

Comparative analysis of HPV16 gene expression profiles in cervical and in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) is the major cause of cervical cancer and of a fraction of oropharyngeal carcinoma. Few studies compared the viral expression profiles in the two types of tumor. We analyzed HPV genotypes and viral load as well as early (E2/E4, E5, E6, E6*I, E6*II, E7) and late (L1 and L2) gene expression of HPV16 in cervical and oropharyngeal cancer biopsies.

Candidate Soluble Immune Mediators in Young Women with High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Infection: High Expression of Chemokines Promoting Angiogenesis and Cell Proliferation.

Background: The causal interpretation of cervical immune response to Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection is complex and poorly characterized mainly due to the delicate balance that exists between viral infection, increase of inflammatory cytokines and host risk factors. This study aims to explore the significance of cervical immune mediators associated to cell survival, angiogenesis and interaction with immune response, in predicting the risk to develop HPV-related intraepithelial lesions.

Methods: A panel of 48 cytokines and growth factors were explored in a selected cohort of 168 immunocompetent women including 88 diagnosed with low (LSIL) or high (HSIL) squamous intraepithelial lesions of the cervix and 80 with normal cervical cytology (NIL).

Analysis of human papillomavirus type-16 variants in Italian women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer.

Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) classes (E, AA, As, Af1, Af2) and their variants have different geographic distribution and different degrees of association with cervical lesions. This study was designed to examine HPV-16 variants among Italian women and their prevalence in case patients (affected by invasive cervical carcinoma or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2-3 and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1), versus control subjects with normal cervical epithelium (controls). A total of 90 HPV-16 positive cervical samples from women of Italian Caucasian descent have been tested, including 36 invasive cervical carcinomas, 21 with cervical intraepithelial neoplasias grade 2-3, 17 with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 and 16 controls.