OBJECTIVE: to compare the prevalence of DNA of human papillomavirus (HPV), in samples of normal endometrial tissue, and tissue with endometrial carcinoma of women submitted to surgical treatment (hysterectomy), or between endometrial carcinoma and benign disease, through the PCR technique. METHODS: this is an observational control-case study where 100 women (50 with endometrial carcinoma and 50 with normal endometrial tissue) were analyzed for the detection of HPV DNA in samples of endometrial tissue kept in paraffin blocks by the PCR technique. The cases of endometrial carcinoma with uncertain primary site of the lesion as well as the cases with previous or current history of pre-neoplasic lesions or carcinoma of the lower genital tract were excluded. Variables as age, smoking habit, endometrial trophism, squamous differentiation and degree of tumor differentiation were also evaluated. RESULTS: the estimated relative risk of the presence of HPV in the endometrial carcinoma and in the normal endometrial tissue was the same. HPV was detected in 8% of the cases of carcinoma and 10% in the normal endometrial tissue. In spite of HPV having been 3.5 times more detected in women with smoking habit in the group without carcinoma, there was no statistical difference. The presence of HPV was also not correlated with the women's age, endometrial trophism, squamous differentiation and degree of tumor differentiation. The HPV types 16 (5 cases) and 18 (4 cases) were the viruses most frequently found both in the normal endometrial tissue or in the tissue with carcinoma. No oncogenic low risk virus was detected in the samples. CONCLUSION: The same proportion of HPV is present in the endometrial tissue of women with endometrial cancer and with normal endometrium. It could not be demonstrated a possible correlation of DNA of HPV with the development of endometrial carcinoma.
Human papillomavirus; HPV; Carcinogenesis; Endometrial carcinoma
