Association between activated K-ras and c-erbB-2 oncogenes with high-risk and low-risk HPV types in non-cancerous cervical samples

MOURÓN SA; ABBA MC; GÜERCCI A; GÓMEZ MA; DULOUT FN; GOLIJOW CD

MUTATION RESEARCH-FUNDAMENTAL AND MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF MUTAGENESIS

Elsevier Inc.

Año: 2000 vol. 469 p. 127 - 134

0027-5107

Clinical and epidemiological data have linked cervical cancer to the Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. However, the presence of HPV infection alone is not enough to cause tumorigenesis, suggesting a role for additional host cell genetic factors. The aim of the present work was to study the association of K-ras and c-erbB-2 mutations and the presence of HPV of “high-” and “low-risk” analyzing non-cancerous cytological samples infected with HPV-6, -16 and -18 and negative HPV-DNA samples as controls. The detection of K-ras and c-erbB-2 activation were performed by ARMS-PCR and PCR with a reference gene respectively. Statistical analysis showed a highly significant difference in K-ras codon 12 mutation frequency between high-risk and low-risk HPV infected samples. On the other hand, c-erbB-2 amplification was associated to samples infected with low-risk HPV. Cervical carcinoma appears to arise from a series of well-characterized progressive histological changes, but the genetic alterations necessary for cervical tumorigenesis are not yet clear. These results raise the possibility for a role of certain proto-oncogenes and their activation in cervical neoplasia.