[Presence of papillomavirus genomes and amplification of the c-myc and C-Ha-ras oncogenes in invasive cancers of the uterine cervix]

Abstract

Invasive squamous cell carcinomas of the uterine cervix from 12 untreated patients were examined for the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) genomes and for the state of the oncogenes c-myc and c-Ha-ras. Blot hybridization experiments have demonstrated the presence of the genome of HPV type 16 (HPV 16) in six tumors and that of the genomes of HPV types weakly related to HPV 16 or HPV 18 in five others. In the nine tumors corresponding to advanced stages of the disease (stages 3 and 4) there was a 3-30 fold amplification of c-myc and/or c-Ha-ras. A concomitant amplification of both oncogenes was found in eight cancers. In only one of the three tumors confined to the cervix (stage 1), the oncogene c-Ha-ras was weakly amplified. Neither HPV DNA sequences, nor oncogene amplification were detected in the leukocytes of five patients. Thus, it seems likely that specific HPV types play a role in the development of carcinomas of the uterine cervix, and that cellular oncogenes, activated through an amplification process, are involved in at least some steps of tumor progression.