Evidence of Human Papillomavirus in the Placenta

Abstract

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is an epitheliotropic virus typically infecting keratinocytes but also possibly epithelial trophoblastic placental cells. In the present study, we set out to investigate whether HPV can be recovered from transabdominally obtained placental cells to avoid any confounding contamination by HPV-infected cervical cells. Thirty-five placental samples from women undergoing transabdominal chorionic villous sampling were analyzed, and we detected HPV-16 and HPV-62 in 2 placentas. This study suggests that HPV infection of the placenta can occur early in pregnancy. The overall clinical implication of these results remains to be elucidated.

Bovine papillomavirus: opening new trends for comparative pathology

“…Viral particles were demonstrated by electron microscopy in both endometrial and chorionic epithelial cells. Expression of E2 and E1 was confirmed, together with that of E5, which co-localized with PDGFR Although there was already some data to support placental infection by HPV [56][57], these important findings confirm that papillomavirus are capable of establishing a productive infection in placental cells in vivo, and bring additional support to the hypothesis that children can be infected by HPV in utero.…”

Risks associated with viral infections during pregnancy

“…While not herpesviruses, human papillomaviruses HPV6, -11, -16, -18, and -31 can also infect the extravillous trophoblast (18,19); HPV16 and HPV62 have been identified in gestational week-12 chorionic villus (20); and HPV16, -6, -83, and -39 have been characterized full-term placenta (19,(21)(22)(23). Zika virus (ZIKV) can also infect multiple cell types of the decidua and placenta and will be discussed in further detail in a later section.…”

HPV Infections in Heterosexual Couples: Mechanisms and Covariates of Virus Transmission

“…Vertical transmission from mother to neonate during and after pregnancy has been reported [32-34]. HPV is found already in the placenta [35-37]. Children of HPV-positive mothers had a 33% higher risk of becoming infected than children of HPV-negative mothers.…”