Carcinoma of the uterine cervix associated with schistosomiasis and induced by human papillomaviruses

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Abstract
Objectives: To determine the presence of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) in cervical cancer among patients in Tanzania and to ascertain their prevalence in cases associated with schistosomiasis. Methods: In situ hybridization was applied to 31 carcinomas of the uterine cervix including 10 in which schistosomiasis co‐occurred. Twenty‐six cases in this series also exhibited koilocytic dysplasia. Results: Twenty‐six out of 31 cases revealed a specific hybridization for HPVs with varying density and distribution. A slightly higher labeling of HPV −16 than −18 was demonstrated. All schistosomiasis‐associated cancers encoded the papillomaviruses. The 31 patients were predominantly young adults, a fact that reflects sexual activity at a very young age in the ethnic communities of Africa. Conclusion: These findings shed new light on the presumed etiologic implication of schistosomiasis in the genesis of cervical cancer. In the absence of HPV, schistosomiasis is not the oncogenic causative agent for carcinoma of the uterine cervix.

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