Cells (Jun 2024)

HPV Detection in Breast Tumors and Associated Risk Factors in Northeastern Brazil

  • Kamylla Conceição Gomes Nascimento,
  • Bianca de França São Marcos,
  • Pedro Henrique Bezerra Fontes,
  • Beatriz Eda de Oliveira Isídio,
  • Stephanie Loureiro Leão,
  • Gabriel Romulo Parente da Silva,
  • David Beltrán Lussón,
  • Daffany Luana dos Santos,
  • Lígia Rosa Sales Leal,
  • Benigno Cristofer Flores Espinoza,
  • Larissa Silva de Macêdo,
  • Pedro Luiz de França Neto,
  • Anna Jéssica Duarte Silva,
  • Jacinto Costa Silva Neto,
  • Vanessa Emanuelle Pereira Santos,
  • Antonio Carlos de Freitas

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/cells13131132
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 13
p. 1132

Abstract

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Breast cancer risk factors include lifestyle, genetic–hormonal influences, and viral infections. Human papillomavirus (HPV), known primarily as the etiological agent of cervical cancer, also appears active in breast carcinogenesis, as evidenced in our study of 56 patients from northeastern Brazil. We assessed the clinical and sociodemographic characteristics, correlating them with various breast cancer tumor types. HPV detection involved amplifying the L1 region, with viral load measured using the E2/E6 ratio and viral activity indicated by E5 oncogene expression. Predominantly, patients over 56 years of age with healthy lifestyles showed a high incidence of invasive ductal carcinoma and triple-negative breast cancer. HPV was detected in 35.7% of cases, mostly HPV16, which is associated with high viral loads (80 copies per cell) and significant E5 expression. These results hint at a possible link between HPV and breast carcinogenesis, necessitating further studies to explore this association and the underlying viral mechanisms.

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