Frequent HLA class I loss is an early event in cervical carcinogenesis.

Loss at chromosome 6p21.3, the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region, is the main cause of HLA downregulation, occurring in the majority of invasive cervical carcinomas. To identify the stage of tumor development at which HLA class I aberrations occur, we selected 12 patients with cervical carcinoma and adjacent cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN).

Human papillomavirus infection in squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva, in various synchronous epithelial changes and in normal vulvar skin.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in various vulvar lesions.

Methods: HPV infection using consensus primer-PCR was studied in 66 patients with vulvar carcinoma and in the synchronous epithelial lesions.

Results: HPV infection was present in 13/66 carcinoma, in 1/33 VIN I, in 3/11 VIN II, in 8/16 VIN III, in 2/30 lichen sclerosus, in 1/37 squamous cell hyperplasia, and in 2/55 normal skin specimens.