An immunofluorescence complement-fixation test for detection of human papilloma viruses in various warts and wartlike lesions of epidermodysplasia verruciformis

Incidence of antibodies to human papillomavirus type 1 in patients with cutaneous and mucosal papillomas

A study of antibodies to human papillomavirus (HPV) 1 is reported in a series of sera from 126 patients with papilloma lesions of different clinical types (verruca plantaris, vulgaris, plana, condyloma acuminata, laryngeal papilloma) using a sensitive solid-phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Our findings showed a significant prevalence of specific HPV 1 IgG antibodies in patients with plantar warts (65%). This incidence was considerably lower in patients with other papilloma lesions, in which positive sera may reflect a past infection with HPV 1. The ELISA test was evaluated as nearly 100 times more sensitive than the indirect immunofluorescence test, and IgG titers to HPV 1 in patients' sera were usually low. Serum samples taken at different times during the course of HPV infection in a few patients with refractory lesions did not show any significant change in their antibody titer.

Comparison of human papillomavirus type 1 serotyping by monoclonal antibodies with genotyping by in situ hybridization of plantar warts

Thirty plantar warts were analyzed for the presence of HPV-1 type-specific and PV genus-specific capsid antigens by immunofluorescence (IF) using monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies and type-specific HPV-1 DNA employing in situ hybridization methods. Fifteen of 30 plantar warts were positive by IF for PV genus-specific structural viral antigens. Thirteen of the 15 productively infected plantar warts expressed intranuclear HPV-1 type-specific capsid antigens and viral DNA, which were detected in the same distribution in each individual wart. The 2 productively infected plantar warts that did not react with HPV-1 type-specific MoAbs did not react with HPV-1 type-specific DNA by in situ hybridization. Thus, serotyping of HPV-1 capsid antigens by monoclonal antibodies is concordant with genotyping of HPV-1 viral DNA by in situ hybridization in productively infected plantar warts.

In vitro complement activation by antinuclear antibodies in the epidermis from patients with systemic sclerosis

Skin biopsies from twenty-one systemic sclerosis patients with significant serum fluorescent antinuclear antibody (FANA) titres (more than 1:40) were examined by direct immunofluorescence (DIF) and by in vitro immunofluorescent complement (C) activation (C + DIF). Eight patients showed epidermal nuclear ANA deposits by DIF. In vitro complement activation was achieved in epidermal nuclei from all eight patients. In addition, one patient with diffuse scleroderma revealed a dense speckled, and two patients with the CREST syndrome a discrete speckled, epidermal nuclear staining pattern by C + DIF. The latter two patients showed high titres of anticentromere antibody in their sera. We consider that the C + DIF findings of these two patients with the CREST syndrome reflect binding of serum anticentromere antibodies to their antigens in vivo.