Correlation of high-risk human papilloma viruses but not of herpes viruses or Chlamydia trachomatis with endometriosis lesions.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether sexually transmitted viruses or prokaryotes, like human papilloma viruses (HPV), herpes viruses, and Chlamydia trachomatis, are associated with endometriosis lesions.

DESIGN

Sixty-six endometriosis lesions from 56 patients, including 49 peritoneum, 16 ovarian, and one endometrium, were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction-based ELISA and Invader technology. Thirty control tissues including endometrium and peritoneum from patient-matched (n = 13) and patients without endometriosis (n = 13) and one cervical carcinoma were tested for HPV DNA.

SETTING

University hospital.

PATIENT(S): Seventy individual patients with and without endometriosis.

INTERVENTION(S): Laparoscopy or laparotomy was performed, and endometriotic lesions were isolated.

RESULT(S): Herpes viruses and Chlamydia trachomatis were not detected in endometriosis lesions. High-risk and medium-risk HPV were detected in 11.3% of lesions, corresponding to 13.2% of patients. In addition, 27.5% of control tissues were positive for HPV high and medium risk. One HPV18-positive ovarian endometriosis also associated with an ovarian carcinoma. Associating clinical history with HPV-positive endometriosis and control tissues, all patients had a prior HPV cervical infection.

CONCLUSION(S): HPV infection in endometriosis lesions including control tissues supports spreading of the virus or HPV-infected endometrial cells via retrograde menstruation. Owing to an association of HPV in carcinomas, we propose that persistent HPV infection of endometriosis lesions could contribute to malignant progression.