ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the correlation of the expression of homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 2 (HIPK2) with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and apoptosis in cervical cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded tissue samples from 50 cervical cancers and 15 normal uterine cervix cases were obtained. Apoptosis was quantified by TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay and the expression of HIPK2 as well as HPV by immunohistochemical staining.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>HIPK2 protein expression was detected in 88.0% (44/50) of cervical cancers and 6.7% (1/15) of normal cervical tissues. HPV was found in 78.0% (39/50) of cervical cancers and 20.0% (3/15) of normal cervical tissue samples. The expression of HIPK2 protein was significantly and positively correlated with HPV presence (r=0.467, P<0.01), but negatively with apoptotic index (r=-0.370, P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>HIPK2 protein expression is positively correlated with HPV infection, but negatively with apoptotic index in cervical cancers. Therefore, HIPK2 may be involved in the mechanism of apoptosis in cervical cancer and may play an important role in cervical carcinogenesis.</p>