Distinctive distribution of human papillomavirus type 16 and type 20 DNA in the tonsillar and the skin carcinomas of a patient with epidermodysplasia verruciformis

✍ Scribed by T. Ishiji; M. Kawase; M. Honda; M. Niimura; E. Yoshimura; T. Sata; T. Matsukura

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 549 KB
• Volume: 143
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0007-0963
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2133.2000.03834.x

✦ Synopsis

Background:

Epidermodysplasia verruciformis (ev) is a rare skin disease characterized by disseminated pityriasis versicolor-like or flat wart-like lesions and by the development of skin carcinomas. it is well established that specific cutaneous human papillomaviruses (ev-hpvs) are associated with both benign and malignant skin lesions in ev patients. however, little is known of the relationship between hpv and the mucosal lesions of ev patients.

Objectives:

To detect and identify hpv types associated with skin and mucosal lesions of an ev patient.

Patient/methods:

We investigated the skin carcinoma and the coexisting tonsillar carcinoma of a 41-year-old man with ev. histopathologically, both lesions were squamous cell carcinomas. we analysed these two lesions by immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, and by molecular virology.

Results:

Neither skin nor tonsillar lesions exhibited positivity for hpv capsid antigen by immunohistochemistry. by southern blot hybridization, however, the skin carcinoma harboured 'ev-specific' hpv20 dna, while the tonsillar carcinoma harboured 'genital' hpv16 dna. in addition, in situ hybridization localized the respective viral dna in the corresponding lesion.

Conclusions:

The results indicate that ev-hpv could be responsible for the development of the skin carcinoma, but not the mucosal carcinoma in this patient.