Uterine cervix adenocarcinoma with both human papillomavirus type 18 and tumor suppressor gene p53 mutation from a woman having an intact hymen.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) type 18 DNA was found in an aggressively invasive adenocarcinoma tumor from a woman who had an intact hymen and denied any prior sexual intercourse. The viral DNA was detected within the tumor tissue by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using consensus primers for the L1 region of oncogenic high-risk genital HPVs. In order to determine mutations within the tumor suppressor gene p53, the gene exons were amplified by PCR followed by single-stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis. The appearance of a mutation in exon 8 of the p53 gene suggested by SSCP was directly confirmed by DNA sequencing of the exon. The sequencing showed a single base deletion that may truncate the protein by introducing a early stop codon in the messenger RNA. This early truncation could be expected to affect the proper oligomerization of the p53 protein and hence its DNA-binding activity. The results show that genital oncogenic human papillomaviruses may be passed by nonsexual routes and suggest that the virus may work in concert with p53 mutations to help the infected tissue progress toward invasive cancer.