Correlation Between IL-10 Gene Expression and HPV Infection in Cervical Cancer: A Mechanism for Immune Response Escape

Abstract

The present study was performed to determine IL-10 expression in cervical tissues in Mexican women according to the severity of the malignity and its association with HPV infection. IL-10 expression showed a clear tendency to increase during the different cervical cancer stages: 37% in LGSIL; 62% in HGSIL; and 84% in cancer. However, all the patients that expressed IL-10 were HPV positives; we found an association with HPV 16. These results suggest a clear relationship between IL-10, HPV and the stage of cervical cancer disease; this event could contribute to the immunosuppressive micro-environment in the tumor site.