Human papillomavirus infection in Barrett's oesophagus in the UK: An infrequent event

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has been reported in squamous cell carcinomas of the oesophagus and has been recently described in Barrett's oesophagus, a premalignant condition which may give rise to oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Objectives: To investigate HPV infection in Barrett's oesophagus in a UK population. Study design: DNA was extracted from 73 Barrett's oesophagus biopsies and examined for the presence of DNA for 14 high risk (HR) and 6 low risk (LR) HPV types. Results: HPV DNA was present in only I of 73 samples; genotyping indicated this was a high risk type 51 infection. Conclusions: HPV infection appears unlikely to be a significant factor in the aetiology of Barrett's oesophagus in the UK. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.