Interaction between folate and the expression of human papillomavirus 16 E6/E7 mRNA in the progression of cervix carcinogenesis / 中华流行病学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the interaction between folate and the expression of HPV16 E6/E7 mRNA in the progression of cervix carcinogenesis.Methods Subjects were selected from the participants who were diagnosed pathologically,including 64 patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC),55 patients with low-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasm (CIN1),55 patients with high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasm (CIN2 +) and 80 with normal cervix (NC).The levels of serum folate and RBC folate were detected by microbiological assay,and the expression levels of HPV16 E6/E7 mRNA were measured,using the real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR).Data was analyzed by methods as chi-square test,analysis of variance (ANOVA),Welch test,Kruskal-Wallis H test and ordinal logistic regression.Spearman correlation was tested using the SPSS statistical software (version 16.0) while the interaction effects were evaluated by additive model.Results There was a positive correlation seen between the serum folate and RBC folate (r=0.41,P＜0.001).The levels of serum folate and RBC folate decreased gradually along with the severity of cervical lesions (x2=32.71,P＜0.001;x2=16.32,P＜0.001).The expression levels of HPV 16 E6/E7 mRNA increased gradually with the severity of cervical lesions (x2 =30.11,P＜ 0.001;x2 =38.99,P＜0.001).There was a negative correlation between the levels of RBC folate,expression levels of HPV16 E6 (E6:r=-0.14,P=0.009) and HPV16 E7 mRNA (E7:r=-0.21,P=0.001),respectively.Both RBC folate deficiency and HPV16 E6/E7 mRNA high expression showed additive interaction in CIN 1,CIN2 + and SCC.Conclusion Folate deficiency and high expression of HPV16 E6/E7 mRNA might increase the risk of cervical cancer and cervix precancerous lesions,and having a synergistic action in the progression of cervix carcinogenesis.