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The role of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) in ovarian epithelium (either normal or neoplastic) remains controversial. We have investigated by PCR the presence of HPV DNA in fresh tissue from ovarian neoplasms and in primary cell cultures established from either normal, benign or malignant ovarian surface epithelia. None of the fresh samples and primary ovarian cultures contained HPV DNA sequences.

Immunologic methods were used to examine 35 sera and the same number of malignant tissue samples taken from female patients with verified ovarian malignomas in order to establish presence of herpes simplex virus. In 23 preoperative sera presence of herpes simplex virus antibodies was established. In 23 postoperatively taken sera there was an evident decrease of antibody titres. In both samples antibodies were IgG class. In 25 samples of malignant tissues presence of herpes simplex virus antigen was established by method of indirect imunnofluorescency. In 9 samples antigen was of the type 1. In 6 cases it was herpes simplex virus of type 2. In order to isolate the complete infective virion, acellular filtrates taken from malignant tissues were used, inoculated with Vero cell cultures, as well as experimental intracerebrally inoculated mice. Cytopathogenic effect on cell cultures was typical but poor and it disappeared in the following passages. In inoculated mice symptoms were also typical, but incomplete. In the examined brains dyed by indirect imunnofluorescency method only focal fluorescence being different from diffuse which characterizes the complete infective virus, was established.

Atypical polypoid adenomyoma (APA) is an uncommon uterine tumor that rarely metastasizes, although it closely resembles a well-differentiated endometrioid carcinoma. A 37-year-old woman with a history of pelvic endometriosis and oral contraceptive use developed an APA and later presented with bilateral ovarian endometrioid carcinomas. DNA ploidy analysis and human papilloma virus (HPV) typing of the APA and ovarian carcinomas were performed to characterize the primary or metastatic nature of the tumors. Both tumors were aneuploid. The APA had a DNA index of 1.53, compared with 1.19 for the ovarian carcinoma. The APA contained HPV 18, and the ovarian carcinoma a mixed infection of HPV 6, 11, 16, and 18, with types 6 and 11 predominating. These differences in DNA index and HPV type supported the autonomous nature of the APA and the ovarian carcinomas. The report affirms the benign outcome of APA, highlights its complication by a second malignancy, and suggests an etiological role for endometriosis, steroid hormones, and possibly the HPV in the formation of one or both tumors.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common human cancers with an annual incidence of about 1,000,000 cases worldwide. Although hepatocellular carcinoma is predominant in hepatitis B virus endemic areas, it has also become a major problem in Europe, Japan and North America in close association with the increasing incidence of hepatitis C virus infection. The pathogenetic role of hepatitis C virus infection in the development of HBsAg-negative hepatocellular carcinoma needs to be clarified. In this paper the case of a 66-year-old HBsAg-negative and anti-HCV positive female who developed hepatocellular carcinoma in a cirrhotic liver is reported. After 1 year of follow up, urgent laparotomy had to be performed due to highly differentiated ovarian metastases of the hepatocellular carcinoma. Plus- and minus-stranded HCV-RNA was detected by reverse transcription and "nested" polymerase chain reaction in both the patient's serum and in the metastatic ovarian tissue.

The presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 and 18 transcripts was determined by reverse transcription/polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in ovarian and endometrial carcinoma tissue. HPV-16 DNA sequences were detected in 50.0% (9/18) of the ovarian carcinomas and in 44.4% (8/18) of endometrial carcinomas. HPV-18 DNA sequences were found in 16.7% (3/18) of both the ovarian and endometrial carcinomas. Using RNA-PCR analysis, we found 3 out of 9 (33.3%) of the HPV-16 DNA-positive and 1 in 3 (33.3%) of the HPV-18 DNA-positive ovarian carcinomas were transcriptionally active, contrary to the HPV-16 DNA-positive or HPV-18 DNA-positive endometrial carcinomas. The results suggest that HPV RNA may be detected in ovarian carcinomas though its biological significance remains to be elucidated. HPV RNA is not demonstrable in endometrial carcinoma using the current primer sets. Further investigations are necessary for a final conclusion.