SUMMARY:In this study, we demonstrate that expression of cyclin B protein is up-regulated and persists into the upper epithelial layers in parallel with cyclin A expression in high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) infected with human papillomaviruses 16, 31, 33, 51, 58, 66, and 67 (n ϭ 33). In contrast, low-grade SIL infected with human papillomaviruses 16, 18, 31, 33, 39, 51, 52, 56, 58, and 66 (n ϭ 27) show weaker cyclin B expression confined to basal and parabasal cells despite extension of cyclin A and Ki67 expression into superficial cells. Moreover, aneusomy is present in 20% of the high-grade lesions but in none of the low-grade lesions. The persistent expression of cyclin B in high-grade SIL, and the restriction of aneusomy to high-grade SIL suggest that there is cell cycle progression. In combination with in vitro studies, this provides evidence that high-grade SIL lesions have undergone immortalization. (Lab Invest 2000, 80:539-544).C yclins, cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK), and CDK inhibitors control cell cycle progression and genomic integrity. They ensure the coordinated passage of cells through the cell cycle and provide surveillance mechanisms or checkpoints before the S and M phases to prevent abnormal DNA replication (Grana and Reddy, 1995). In vitro, high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPV) disrupt these cellular checkpoints, inducing mitotic defects and karyotypic abnormalities through the interactions of E6 and E7 proteins with the G1/S cell cycle regulators p53 and pRb, cyclins A and E, CDK 2, and CDK inhibitors p21 WAF1/CIP1 and p27 KIP1 (Galloway and McDougall, 1996; ZerfassThome et al, 1996). Moreover, up-regulation of cdc2-associated histone H1 activity by HPV 16 E6 in transfected primary human keratinocytes results in a decreased vigilance of mitotic checkpoints . In a recent in vivo study of low-grade cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) (Southern and Herrington, 1998), we reported up-regulation of cyclin A, cyclin B and cyclin E expression by both low-risk and high-risk HPV infection. Cyclin D1 was overexpressed in 92% of lesions infected with low-risk HPV types but was absent in 87% of lesions infected with high-risk HPV types. The morphological pattern of cyclin expression was suggestive of S phase arrest/prolongation or upregulation of cyclin proteins to affect viral DNA replication. Tetrasomy occurred in lesions infected only with high-risk HPV, providing further evidence that G1/S and G2/M cell cycle checkpoints are abnormal in low-grade SIL infected with high-risk HPV.In vitro, cellular immortalization induced by transfection of high-risk HPV DNA into primary keratinocytes is accompanied by elevated levels of cyclin B, cyclin A and p34 cdc2 proteins (Steinmann et al, 1994). Immortalization is also associated with structural chromosome abnormalities (Solinas-Toldo et al, 1997) and activation of telomerase (Steenbergen et al, 1996). Moreover, analysis of naturally occurring lesions has recently demonstrated telomerase activation in almost all invasive cervica...