Human papillomavirus infection and primary fallopian tube carcinoma: a seroepidemiological study

Objective To evaluate the role of human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31 or 33 infection in primary fallopian tube carcinoma (PFTC). Design A retrospective case-control study. Setting Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Helsinki University Hospital, Finland. Population Seventy-eight consecutive women with PFTC diagnosed between 1985 and 2000 were studied. For each case, two healthy controls were selected. Methods Serum immunoglobulin G antibodies to HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31 and 33 were measured from women with PFTC and their healthy controls. Main outcome measrues Analysis of HPV 6, 11, 18, 31 and 33 seropositivity among women with PFTC and controls. Results Seropositivity rates of non-oncogenic or oncogenic HPV types did not differ between cases and controls, odds ratios being 1.04-1.30 for oncogenic HPVs and 1.08-1.19 for non-oncogenic HPVs, similarly. We did not find any multiplicative joint effect in PFTC by antibodies to more than one oncogenic HPV type; neither did we find any antagonistic effect among women with antibodies to non-oncogenic and oncogenic HPV types. Conclusions Our results do not suggest any link between PFTC and serological evidence for HPV infection.