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World J Gastroenterol. Oct 21, 2013; 19(39): 6598-6603
Published online Oct 21, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i39.6598
Published online Oct 21, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i39.6598
No evidence of HPV DNA in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in a population of Southern Brazil
Luís Carlos Moreira Antunes, João Carlos Prolla, Antonio de Barros Lopes, Renato Borges Fagundes, Programa de Pós-Graduação: Ciências em Gastroenterologia e Hepatologia - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul 90035-003, Brasil
Renato Borges Fagundes, Departamento de Clínica Médica - Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul 97119-900, Brasil
Luís Carlos Moreira Antunes, Marta Pires da Rocha, Hospital Universitário de Santa Maria - Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul 97119-900, Brasil
Author contributions: Antunes LCM and Fagundes RB designed the research and wrote the manuscript; Antunes LCM performed the research; da Rocha MP was the pathologist responsible for diagnosis of cases; Prolla JC and de Barros Lopes A reviewed the manuscript draft and made substantial contribution for the final version.
Correspondence to: Renato Borges Fagundes, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Programa de Pós-Graduação: Ciências em Gastroenterologia e Hepatologia - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Ramiro Barcelos, 2400 - 2° andar, Bairro Santana, Porto Alegre 90035-003, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. fagundesrb@gmail.com
Telephone: +55-51-81018818 Fax: +55-51-33085616
Received: July 18, 2013
Revised: August 3, 2013
Accepted: August 17, 2013
Published online: October 21, 2013
Revised: August 3, 2013
Accepted: August 17, 2013
Published online: October 21, 2013
Core Tip
Core tip: This paper gives additional evidence related to the controversy on the potential role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in the pathogenesis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Taking great care to avoid contamination by environmental HPV and using a very sensitive HPV DNA detection technique, we found no evidence of HPV neither in ESCC tumor tissue, nor in esophageal non-tumoral tissue from ESCC patients, or from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients or from dyspeptic controls without cancer. These data convincingly argue that when environmental contamination is carefully controlled, there is no evidence that HPV is involved in ESCC carcinogenesis in southern Brazil.