Molecular Alteration in Human Genital Epithelial Cells Transformed by Recombinant Human Papillomavirus DNA

Abstract

Squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix is a major public health problem worldwide, as a cause of cancer death in women it is number two after breast cancer. The first documented data concerning marital or sexual events was published by Rigoni-Stern in 1842 (1) who concluded from a statistical analysis of death records that cancer of the uterus occurred rarely in virgins and nuns. Since then, evidence has been accumulating consistent wit the premise that cervical cancer behaves as a venereally transmitted disease. Two important factors in the development of cancer appear to be the age of onset of sexual activity and the number of partners. Today, it is accepted that a subset of human papillomaviruses (HPV) are linked with neoplastic events in the epithelia of the female genitalia In fact, over 95% of invasive cervical cancers are associated with a specific subset of HPVs (2). However, the evidence also indicates that while HPV is necessary it is not sufficient to induce cancer. Cervical cancer is an ideal model for studying human carcinogenesis because the normal, benign and malignant stages can be distinguished in vivo and in vitro.