[Human papillomavirus infection and p53 gene mutation in primary lung cancer]

Surgical samples from 40 cases of primary lung cancer were studied by in situ hybridization and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect HPV-DNA in different types of lung cancer. In addition, PCR-RFLP was used to examine mutation of p53 exon 7. The results showed that HPV-DNA positive rate in lung cancer was 55% (22/40 cases), including SCLC (9/9 cases), squamous cell carcinomas (8/16 cases), and adenocarcinomas (5/12 cases). Amplification of p53 exon 7 was seen in 5 of 22 HPV-DNA positive cases. RFLP analysis showed that p53 exon 7 mutation was present in two cases with gene amplification. In HPV-DNA negatives there was only one case with exon 7 amplification but no mutation. SCLC and squamous carcinoma had higher HPV infection rate than other types of lung cancer. The results suggest some relation between HPV infection and p53 gene mutation.