[Relationship between human papillomavirus and oncogenes (c-myc, N-myc) amplification in human cervical cancers]

The human papillomavirus detection and oncogenes amplifications were studied on DNAs from fifteen cervical cancers. We detected HPV16 and HPV18 using Southern blot hybridization and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. The positive subjects of HPVs were eight cases (53%) observed by Southern blot hybridization and fourteen cases (93%) by PCR technique. The gene amplifications of oncogenes (c-myc and N-myc) were analysed by slot-blot method and were observed in c-myc but not in N-myc. The "LARGE" gene amplification (more than five fold) in c-myc was observed in one case (7%) and the "SMALL" gene amplifications (less than five fold) were observed in six cases (40%) in human cervical cancers. Although one of five cases (20%) with HPV16 was present c-myc gene amplification, all of three cases (100%) with HPV18 were found c-myc gene amplifications. In two out of three cases obtained more than three fold c-myc gene amplifications, HPV were not detectable. It is suggested that the negative correlation between gene amplification and numbers of HPV copies exist in advanced cervical cancers.