HPV infection and its correlation with p53 and Bcl-2 among pregnant mothers and their infants

Abstract Perinatal transmission of HPV leading to infection in infants due to swallowing of amniotic fluid or vaginal secretions is vital for early screening of cervical and oral cancers. Here, the perinatal transmission of HPV from the pregnant women to their infants was studied. p53 and Bcl-2 expressions in the mother-baby pairs were analyzed. The correlation of HPV infection with p53 and Bcl-2 in the mother-baby pairs were examined. The study included 135 mother-baby pairs. HPV infection was detected in the cervical and oral swabs employing both PCR and Hybrid Capture-II methods. Immunocytochemistry of p53 and Bcl-2 using the streptavidin-biotin peroxidase method with respective monoclonal antibodies was performed. The prevalence of HPV infection in the mothers was 28.14%, (38/135) and 30.37% (41/135) determined by the PCR and HC-II methods respectively. HPV 16 and/or 18 was identified in 81.57% (31/38) and 82.92% (34/41) of the HPV + women estimated by the PCR and HC-II methods respectively. The frequency of perinatal transmission was 21.05% (8/38) 23.68% (9/38) determined by the PCR and HC-II methods respectively. An abnormal nuclear expression of p53 and cytoplasmic expression of Bcl-2 were observed in the HPV + mother-baby pairs. A significant positive correlation was found between p53 and Bcl-2 expressions and HPV + mother-baby pairs. Cesarean section was not found protective for infants against perinatal HPV transmission. The detection of p53 and Bcl-2 proteins in the HPV-positive mother-baby pairs suggests that these biomarkers may be important in the early screening of these cancers in positive cases.