Résumé
BACKGROUND: Current evidence implicates specific types of the human papillomavirus (HPV) are involved in the development of cervical cancer. In HPV-negative cervical carcinomas, p53 mutation is thought to be a mechanism of oncogenesis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of p53 mutations in cervical adenocarcinomas and to investigate their correlation with HPV status and clinicopathologic parameters. METHODS: A series of 38 primary cervical adenocarcinomas was analyzed for both HPV infection and p53 mutations. The HPV 16, 18, and 33 status was investigated by PCR amplification. The point mutations of the p53 gene were detected by the PCR-SSCP technique. RESULTS: The prevalence of HPV 16, 18, or 33 infection was 73.7% (28/38). HPV 16 was present in 12 cases, HPV 18 was present in 15 cases, and HPV 33 was positive in one case. There was only one case that was positive for 18 as well as a p53 mutation in exon 6. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that HPV 18 infection was more common in cervical adenocarcinomas than HPV 16 infection. Mutant p53 was rarely found in cervical adenocarcinomas regardless of the type of HPV infection. There was no correlation between HPV infection and clinical stage or pathologic type of tumor.