[Relationship between human papillomavirus E7 protein and Rb gene product in fresh tissues of squamous cervical...

To study the possibility of complex formation of the E7 protein encoded by human papillomavirus (HPV) binding to retinoblastoma gene product (pRb) in fresh samples of squamous cervical carcinoma (SCC).

HPV 6/11, 16, 18, 33 DNA were detected in 40 samples of by polymerase chain reaction technique (PCR). The complexes of HPV E7-pRb were examined in fresh tissues of HPV contained SCC through capture enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (capture-ELISA).

45.0% (18/40) of the samples were proved to be HPV positive by PCR. Out of 18 samples with HPV positive samples, the complexes of HPV E7-pRb were detected in 9 cses, including 1 HPV18 positive and 8 HPV16 positives. The complexes of HPV E7-pRb were not found in 2 cases of positive HPV 6/11. No correlation was observed between the E7 protein binding to pRb and the histological grade of cervical carcinoma (P < 0.05). There was correlation with clinical staging, the number of cases showing that the E7 protein pRb complex in stage I was significantly higher than that in stages II-IV (P < 0.05).

The complex of "high risk" HPV E7-pRb was demonstrated in fresh tissues of SCC. There is no correlation between the complex and histological grade of SCC. The complex formation may occur in the early developmental stage of cervical cancer.