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Human papillomaviruses and cervical cancer
Liviu S. Enache, Elena L. Enache, Angela Borda, Minodora Dobreanu
Abstract: The central causal role of the human papillomaviruses (HPV) in cervical cancer has been well established. The association is present in almost all cases of cervical cancer in the world. The ability of HPV oncogenes to interact with host cell cycle and growth regulators, as well as to elude the immune response and protect infected cells from apoptosis, can promote the persistence of the infection and the development of cervical carcinoma. However, only a small number of HPV infections progress to cancer, while the majority are eliminated by the host, suggesting that the presence of other cofactors is important in carcinogenesis. Several diagnostic tools for HPV infection have been developed, from basic cervical cytology screening to signal-amplified hybridization and the most recent real-time polymerase chain reaction techniques. HPV testing has been recently introduced in clinical practice and plays an increasing role in the management of women with abnormal cervical cytological findings. This article provides review of the recent literature on HPV infection epidemiology, pathogenesis and diagnosis.
Keywords: Human papillomavirus,cervical cancer,pathogenesis,diagnosis.
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