N Kadhim Salim - Ministry of Health, Baghdad, Iraq
S Hasan Mohammed Ali - Clinical Communicable Diseases Research, College of Medicine, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq
I Mahdi Al-Sudani - Ibn Sina University of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Baghdad, Iraq

Thyroid cancer has been related to many environmental, genetic, and viral factors. Human Papilloma Viruses (HPV) are epitheliotropic viruses infecting cutaneous and mucosal tissues, leading to a variety of benign and malignant tumors. The p۷۳-gene expresses two important isoforms from the N-terminal end with two opposite activities in the regulation of cell fate. The present study aimed to assess the histopathological expression of tissues from thyroid cancers in relation to the over-expression of the p۷۳ gene with HPV ۱۶/۱۸ infection. A total of ۱۱۶ thyroid tissues were examined for HPV ۱۶/۱۸-DNA and P۷۳-gene protein expression. The samples belonged to ۳۶ patients diagnosed with thyroid carcinoma, ۴۰ thyroid adenoma tissues blocks, and ۴۰ apparently normal thyroid tissues. The detection of HPV ۱۶/۱۸-DNA was performed by in situ hybridization (ISH), whereas P۷۳ gene expression was carried out by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The HPV۱۶/۱۸ DNA-ISH reactions in thyroid cancers were found in ۷۲.۲% tissues, ۳۵% HPV۱۶/۱۸- positivity was detected in the thyroid adenoma tissues group, and ۲۷.۵% of healthy thyroid tissues revealed ISH reactions. Statistically, the difference of the HPV۱۶/۱۸ in thyroid cancers and control was highly significant. The p۷۳ was detected in ۶۶.۷% and ۵۷.۵% of thyroid cancer and adenoma thyroid tissues, respectively, while ۴۵% of the examined healthy thyroid tissues revealed IHC-reactions. The difference between the p۷۳-protein expression percentages detected in tissues of thyroid tumors and the control group was non statistically significant. The presence of HPV۱۶/۱۸, as well as an over-expressed p۷۳-gene, in thyroid cancer patients, suggests that the virus, as well as this protein, may play an etiologic role in thyroid carcinogenesis.

Benign thyroid adenoma, HPV genotype ۱۶/۱۸, IHC, ISH, P۷۳, Thyroid Cancers