Relationship between high-risk HPV infection and expression of PKP4 and DSC2 protein in tissues of patients with cervical cancer and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia

ZHANG Chunli; LIU Zhongjie; CHEN Huan; ZHAO Ning; DU Suguo; SU Xiaoling

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1007-8096.2025.07.018

Abstract：Objective To investigate the correlation between high-risk human papillomavirus(HPV)infection and the expression of plakophilin-4(PKP4)and desmocollin-2(DSC2)proteins in patients with cervical cancer and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia(CIN).Methods A total of 70 cervical cancer specimens(cervical cancer group),32 low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion(LSIL)tissue specimens,and 30 high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion(HSIL)tissue specimens were collected from the Department of Pathology at our hospital between December 2020 and December 2022 as the study subjects.Additionally,100 normal cervical tissue specimens from patients with uterine fibroids without cervical lesions were selected as the control group.The expression levels of PKP4 and DSC2 proteins in the specimens were detected using immunohistochemistry(IHC),while the presence of high-risk HPV infection was assessed by in situ hybridization(ISH).The relationship between the expression of PKP4 and DSC2 proteins and the pathological characteristics of cervical cancer as well as high-risk HPV infection was analyzed.Results The positive expression rates of PKP4 and DSC2 in the study group were significantly higher than those in the control group(P<0.05).In the cervical cancer group,the positive expression rates of PKP4 and DSC2 were significantly higher than those in the HSIL and LSIL groups,with the HSIL group showing higher rates than the LSIL group(all P<0.05).Similarly,the positive expression rates of HPV16 and HPV18 in the cervical cancer group were significantly higher than those in the HSIL and LSIL groups,with the HSIL group exhibiting higher rates than the LSIL group(all P<0.05).Furthermore,PKP4 and DSC2 expression in cervical cancer tissues showed a positive correlation with HPV16 and HPV18(r=0.571,0.550,0.492,and 0.513,respectively;all P<0.05).The positive expression rates of PKP4 and DSC2 were significantly higher in cervical cancer patients with FIGO stage≥IIB compared to those with stages IA-IIA,in patients with poorly differentiated tumors compared to those with moderately/well-differentiated tumors,and in patients with lymph node metastasis compared to those without lymph node metastasis(all P<0.05).Conclusion PKP4 and DSC2 are highly expressed in patients with cervical cancer and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia,and their expression levels are associated with tumor stage,differentiation,and lymph node metastasis,as well as positively correlated with the detection of HPV16 OR HPV18.