The role of herpes and human papillomavirus infection in prostate and bladder carcinogenesis

Abstract

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a small epithelial, non-enveloped, double-stranded DNA virus that belongs to the Papillomaviridae family. HPV infection is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections, and certain types of HPV are known to be carcinogenic to humans. According to the scientific literature, there is reliable information about the role of highly oncogenic HPV types in the development of cervical, anal, vulvar, vaginal, penile, and oropharyngeal cancer.Currently, a relevant and promising research area is the study of the role of HPV infection in prostate cancer (PC) and bladder cancer (BC), but scientific data on the potential pathogenetic relationship between these phenomena remain contradictory. An in-depth study of the question how herpes and human papillomavirus affect the origin of malignant tumors of the prostate and bladder, as well as the course of these diseases, and the prognosis of their development can become a source of information for development of new approaches to their diagnosis, prevention, and monitoring of morbidity. This literature review analyzes the results of modern studies on the role of oncogenic HPV types in the carcinogenesis of PC and BC.