Role of human papillomavirus infection in the etiology of vulvar cancer in Italian women

Abstract

Background: Vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC) is a rare malignancy of the female genital tract. We aimed to determine the mucosal high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV)-attributable fraction of VSCCs from Italian women using multiple markers of viral infections. Methods: VSCCs and 8 metastatic lymph node samples from 107 Italian women were analyzed by a highly typespecific multiplex genotyping assay for the presence of DNA from 119 different HPVs. Tissues were further analyzed for HPV RNA and for upregulation of the cellular protein p16 INK4a . Results: The rate of mucosal HPV-related tumors defined by viral DNA and RNA positivity was low (7.8%). HPV16 was the most prevalent, followed by 53, 56, and 58. Only five (4.9%) p16 INK4a -positive tumors were also positive for both viral DNA and RNA. One (14.3%) metastatic lymph node sample was positive for all three markers. DNA of cutaneous HPVs was detected in only two VSCCs, i.e. genus beta types 5 and 110. Conclusion: A small proportion of Italian VSCCs is putatively HPV-related, i.e. positive for both viral DNA and RNA of the same type, thus reinforcing the importance of HPV vaccination. Moreover, this study suggests that a direct role of HPV from genus beta and gamma in vulvar carcinogenesis is unlikely.

The Role of RNA Splicing Factors in Cancer: Regulation of Viral and Human Gene Expression in Human Papillomavirus-Related Cervical Cancer

“…Persistent infection with high-risk HPVs, most commonly HPV16 and HPV18, is the main risk factor for development of almost all cases of cervical cancer (Doorbar, 2006;Schiffman et al, 2016), and of significant fraction of penile and anal cancers (Moscicki and Palefsky, 2011), vulvar cancer (Preti et al, 2020), as well as tumors of the upper respiratory tract, including head and neck cancers (Bzhalava et al, 2020). Most HPV infections of the cervix are successfully cleared by the host immune system in 2-3 years, but in several cases the infection may persist over the time leading to CIN graded 1 to 3 that eventually evolve during a long lasting period in invasive cervical carcinoma (McCredie et al, 2008;Doorbar et al, 2012;Oyervides-Munoz et al, 2018).…”

Intranasal Therapeutic Peptide Vaccine Promotes Efficient Induction and Trafficking of Cytotoxic T Cell Response for the Clearance of HPV Vaginal Tumors

“…The incidences of human papillomavirus (HPV) driven cancers, including cervical, vulvar, penile, anal, and head and neck cancers continue to increase despite the availability of a prophylactic vaccine targeted at preventing initial infection [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]. This is especially true in countries with limited resources and in need for preventative screening measures.…”

Vulvar Squamous Cell Carcinoma in a Patient with AIDS: A Case Study

“…Basic method for cervical cancer screening is Pap smear which combined with HPV test in most of the times [9]. Mario Preti, et al study on VSCC cases identified HPV as the causative object for vulvar carcinogenesis [10], as currently there are no recommended screening strategies for vulvar cancer, HPV immunization through vaccination may be the only effective way for prevention [11].…”