The Danish Cancer Society is a non-governmental, non-profit private organisation founded in 1928. The aims of the organisation are to: prevent the development of cancer, to improve patients’ chances of successful recovery, and to limit the physical, psychological and social side-effects of cancer. The Institute of Cancer Epidemiology is responsible for one of the main activities within the organisation, namely research. The Institute is dedicated to epidemiological research into the causes of cancer and factors associated with survival of cancer patients. This is done in close collaboration with clinicians, molecular biologists, virologists and biochemists.

Biological and epidemiological studies have established a causative link between infection with a sub group of HPVs, referred to as mucosal high-risk types, and all grades of cervical disease. However, the majority of HPV infections do not lead to the development of cervical lesions. Persistent infection is necessary for the formation of a high-grade lesion and invasive cancer. Therefore, identification of determinants of viral persistence represents an important topic. Studies have indicated that HPV polymorphisms together with host-genetic factors influence the host immune response and clinical outcome of a HPV infection. We intend to conduct a prospective study in homogenous Danish population in collaboration with Dr. Thomas Iftner and will consider women positive for HPV16 and HPV18 with no clinical manifestation or with an early stage of cervical lesion who are followed for several months to establish the regression or progression of the viral infection. We will perform a comprehensive analysis of two different parameters: Natural variations in HPV16 or HPV18 genome Cytokines polymorphisms The final aim of the study is to identify possible correlations between fate of the HPV-induced lesion and factors described above. The findings obtained in this prospective study may provide a basis for improving future gynaecological health programs since they will enable the identification of molecular diagnostic markers to predict the outcome of an HPV16 or HPV18 infection, i.e. either clearance of the infection or induction/progression of a lesion.

Kjaer S, Hogdall E, Frederiksen K, Munk C, van den Brule A, Svare E, Meijer C, Lorincz A, Iftner T. The absolute risk of cervical abnormalities in high-risk human papillomavirus-positive, cytologically normal women over a 10-year period. Cancer Res 2006; 66 :10630-6. Moscicki AB, Schiffman M, Kjaer S, Villa LL. Chapter 5: Updating the natural history of HPV and anogenital cancer Vaccine 2006; 24 Suppl 3:S42-51 Kjaer SK, Olesen F, Toftager-Larsen K, Sand C, Strauss GI, Hoffmann TU, Ottesen BS. [The first HPV vaccine is now available] Ugeskr Laeger 2006; 168: 3827-8. (in Danish) Kjaer SK, Munk C, Winther JF, Jorgensen HO, Meijer CJ, van den Brule AJ. Acquisition and persistence of human papillomavirus infection in younger men: a prospective follow-up study among Danish soldiers. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2005; 14 :1528-33 Schiffman M, Kjaer SK. Chapter 2: Natural history of anogenital human papillomavirus infection and neoplasia. J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr 2003; 3 :14-9. Kjaer SK, van den Brule AJ, Paull G, Svare EI, Sherman ME, Thomsen BL, Suntum M, Bock JE, Poll PA, Meijer CJ. Type specific persistence of high risk human papillomavirus (HPV) as indicator of high grade cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions in young women: population based prospective follow up study. BMJ 2002 ;325: 572-8.