Polymerase chain reaction assay for the detection of human papillomavirus type 16 genetic material in the intraoperative material from patients with prostate cancer

Background. The high rates of prostate cancer (PC) morbidity and mortality, as well as their high growth rates suggest that investigations of the nature of PC are of importance. The possible association of PC with high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPV) remains open.

Objective: to examine surgically removed prostate tissue from patients with PC for HPV 16 type E7 oncogene, the main type of HPV being responsible for cervical cancer.

Materials and methods. Polymerase chain reaction was used to test the prostate tissues removed from 17 patients with PC during radical prostatectomy. Cryopreserved (formalin- and paraffin- untreated) tumor samples were employed for better preservation of DNA. The multifocal growth pattern typical of PC was taken into account using microdissection to accumulate homogeneous prostate cancer, dysplastic, and intact epithelial cells.

Results. HPV 16 type E7 oncogene DNA was detected in the samples from 7 patients with PC out of the 17 examinees, including all 5 cases where DNA had been isolated from the homogeneous regions of PC.