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Demonstration of multiple HPV types in laryngeal premalignant lesions using polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry
Author(s) -
Azzimonti Barbara,
Hertel Laura,
Aluffi Paolo,
Pia Francesco,
Monga Guido,
Zocchi Mario,
Landolfo Santo,
Gariglio Marisa
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-9071(199909)59:1<110::aid-jmv18>3.0.co;2-s
Subject(s) - immunohistochemistry , polymerase chain reaction , virology , pathology , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , gene , genetics
Recent evidence has shown that human papillomavirus (HPV) is involved in both the development of carcinoma and in premalignant mucosal lesions of the oral cavity. This study examined the relationship of HPV infection to some pathological features in precancerous lesions of the larynx, not examined extensively so far. Fifty formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded tissue sections containing human laryngeal precancerous lesions were screened for the presence of HPV infection by polymerase chain reaction, and for capsid protein expression by immunohistochemistry with polyclonal antibody directed against the L1 protein. The presence of HPV DNA was detected in 28 of 50 specimens (56%), including 9/12 cases with mild dysplasia (75%), 3/6 cases with moderate dysplasia (50%), and 7/11 cases with severe dysplasia (64%). Multiple HPV infections, containing two or three types, were detected in 17 of the 28 HPV‐positive lesions (60%). Of 21 cases with keratosis and no dysplasia, 11 were positive for HPV DNA (52%) and 4 showed L1 staining (36%). By contrast, L1 positivity was revealed only in two lesions with moderate dysplasia, confirming that fully productive HPV infection is strictly dependent on epithelial differentiation and surface keratinization. The probability that HPV is a cofactor in the malignant progression of these lesions is suggested by the fact that 3/4 patients who developed cancer within 50 months were positive for HPV DNA. J. Med. Virol. 59:110–116, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.