Human papillomavirus DNA in invasive carcinoma of the vagina.

The presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in invasive carcinomas of the vagina, in their lymph node metastases, and in corresponding normal tissue was investigated by Southern blot hybridization with 32P-labeled HPV DNA. Tumor tissue from ten of 18 patients with vaginal carcinoma contained HPV DNA. Three of the 18 patients had a history of cervical neoplasia more than 14 years before the diagnosis of vaginal carcinoma. Five of 15 primary squamous cell carcinomas, one primary adenocarcinoma, and a vulvar recurrence of a vaginal squamous carcinoma contained HPV 16. A primary squamous carcinoma yielded HPV-related sequences. The HPV copy number varied from 0.5 to 50 per cellular genome. Four histologically positive inguinal lymph nodes from three patients contained HPV DNA. In six tumor-free control tissues from four patients, no HPV DNA was detected. No relationship was established between HPV positivity, HPV type, or copy number of the tumor and the grade of differentiation or keratinization or the clinical stage. After a median follow-up of 13 months, five of nine HPV-positive patients were alive without recurrence, whereas all seven HPV-negative patients had died because of disease. The results of this study indicate a possible major role of HPV in the development of vaginal cancer.