Infectious Diseases: Research and Treatment

Since the introduction of a cytology-based screening program for cervical cancer in developed countries a dramatic reduction of specific morbidity and mortality has been reported. In addition to this in 1972 zur Hausen proposed HPV as a causal factor of cervical cancer. About 15 viral subtypes have been identified: the so called high-risk subtypes for cancer development. Despite this the clinical use of subtype identification in a prevention strategy has not substantially been reported. Simple identification of HPV carrier status cannot reliably be used as a prognostic factor for cervical cancer development nor as a useful alternative to cytological examination. Therefore we are establishing a link between the classical cytological examination and the techniques of molecular biology. Our strategy detects HPV in a semi-quantitative way as well as the E7-m-RNA activity and T-lymphocyte-transformation in order to better calculate how serious an infection is, how active the virus and how active the defense reaction is.