Human papillomavirus, Epstein-Barr virus, human herpesvirus 8 and human cytomegalovirus involvement in salivary gland tumours.

Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are involved in the etiology of both benign and malignant epithelial lesions. The occurrence of HPV types 16 and 18 in gynecological squamous cell carcinomas is also well known. Of the herpesviruses, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is associated with, for example, undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma, endemic Burkitt's lymphoma and immunoblastic lymphoma, and human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) with Kaposi's sarcoma. As little is known about the etiological factors of salivary gland tumours, the presence of HPV, EBV, HHV-8 and human cytomegalovirus (CMV) in these tumours were examined. Fresh tissue samples obtained from 19 consecutive pleomorphic adenomas and 19 malignant salivary gland tumours were analyzed with polymerase chain reaction. Two samples showed EBV DNA positivity, a lymphoma of the parotid gland and a pleomorphic adenoma arising in the nasal cavity. HPV, HHV-8 and CMV DNA were not detected in any of the tumour samples. The results indicate that HPV, HHV-8 and CMV do not seem to have any role in the etiology of salivary gland neoplasms.