The frequency of human papillomaviruses in colorectal cancer samples in Mashhad, northeastern Iran

Infection with the human papillomaviruses (HPVs) is associated with the development of several cancers, including oral, esophageal, skin, lung, and cervical. However, the association of HPVs and colorectal cancers remains controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between HPV infection and paraffin-embedded colorectal tissue samples in Mashhad in the northeast of Iran.

Paraffin-embedded tissue specimens from 111 patients with colorectal cancer were subjected to DNA extraction. The quality of extracted DNA was confirmed by amplification of a P-globin fragment using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and GH20/PCO4 primers. PCR with GP5+/GP6+ primers was then performed on positive samples to evaluate the sequence of HPVs.

A total of 100 colorectal samples with positive results for the P-globin gene were analyzed. The age of patients ranged from 18 to 72 years (mean: 52). Sixty-four patients (56.7%) were male and 47 patients (43.4%) were female. One (1%) out of 100 patients with colorectal cancer was found to be positive for HPV DNA.

Results of the current study suggested that HPV infection is not common in patients with colorectal cancer in our population. We concluded that HPV types that are associated with malignant transformations do not meaningfully contribute to adenocarcinoma of the colon among our population.