Abstract
Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) and herpesviruses are detected in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). We sought to analyze the prevalence of HPV's 16 and 18, cytomegalovirus (CMV), and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA in peripheral blood, ovarian, and fallopian tube (FT) tissue samples collected from 97 EOC patients, including 71 cases of high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC), and from 60 women with other tumors or non-neoplastic gynecological diseases. DNA isolates were analyzed by PCR methods, including droplet digital PCR. The results demonstrate that (1) HPV16 DNA has been detected in one-third of the FT and tumor samples from EOCs; (2) the prevalence and quantity of HPV16 DNA were significantly higher in FT samples from HGSOCs, non-HGSOCs, and ovarian metastases than in those from non-neoplastic diseases; (3) CMV and EBV have been detected in approximately one-seventh of EOC samples. The results suggest that HPV16 might be a potential risk factor for EOC development.