Cutaneous human papillomavirus genotypes in different kinds of skin lesions in Argentina

Cutaneous human papillomaviruses (HPVs) comprise a large and highly heterogeneous virus group. Some of the cutaneous HPVs of the genus Beta have been suggested as a co-factor in the development of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC). The aim of this study was to determine cutaneous HPV prevalence and type-specific distribution in different kinds of skin lesions from Argentine patients visiting Dermatology Departments of three hospitals from Buenos Aires. A cross-sectional analysis was performed. HPV DNA was analyzed in (i) 3 patients with Epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV) harboring benign lesions (BL) (n = 1) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (n = 4); (ii) 240 non-EV patients harboring: (a) BL (n = 38), (b) Actinic Keratosis (AK) (n = 83), (c) SCC (n = 74), and (d) basal cell carcinoma (BCC) (n = 96). Detection and genotyping of 35 cutaneous HPV DNA was carried out by BGC-PCR and GP5+/6 + PCR followed by reverse line blot assay. In EV patients, Beta types were found in all lesions (5/5), including the potentially high-risk HPV types 5 and 8, mostly in multiple infections. In non-EV patients, cutaneous types were found in 50.0% of BL, 43.4% of AK, 31.1% of SCC, and 16.7% of BCC. Beta HPVs were the most frequently found in all lesions, being present in all AK and SCC cases that were positive for HPV. No type-specific correlation with lesion severity was found. In our series, a wide spectrum of cutaneous HPV types was detected in different skin lesions. A possible role for these HPVs in skin carcinogenesis deserves further study. J. Med. Virol. 89:352-357, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Genomic characterization of ten novel cutaneous human papillomaviruses from keratotic lesions of immunosuppressed patients

Viral warts from immunosuppressed organ transplant recipients (OTR) persist over years and may progress into non-melanoma skin cancer. The types of human papillomaviruses (HPV) in such lesions are different from that seen in the general population. A subset of these lesions is not infected with the classical wart-associated HPV types. In order to gain a better understanding of the HPV types in those lesions, we isolated ten novel HPVs from persisting keratotic lesions of immunosuppressed OTRs by rolling circle amplification and subsequent long-template PCR. Additionally, we sequenced and characterized the whole genome of the ten novel HPV types. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that nine HPV types belonged to the genus Gammapapillomavirus (γ-PV) and one to the genus Betapapillomavirus. In a phylogenetic analysis using L1 fragments of human and non-human PV types, primate papillomaviruses and our novel HPV types nested within the genus γ-PV in a highly polyphyletic pattern. This study significantly broadens the knowledge concerning the diversity and evolution of the poorly known γ-PV types.

High viral load of human wart-associated papillomaviruses (PV) but not beta-PV in cutaneous warts independent of immunosuppression

BACKGROUND

A broad spectrum of human papillomaviruses (HPV) has been detected in warts from immunocompetent patients and a much more diverse range from immunosuppressed organ transplant recipients (OTR).

OBJECTIVES

To determine the HPV types in warts from OTR, we assessed present infections of mucosal (alpha-PV), wart-associated (alpha-, micro- and nu-PV) and cutaneous HPV types (beta-/gamma-PV) in immunocompetent patients and OTR. Patients/methods Forty-one warts from 29 immunocompetent patients (non-OTR) and 53 warts from 33 OTR were analysed for DNA of human alpha-, beta-, gamma-, micro- and nu-PV. For frequent types viral load was determined by quantitative real-time PCR.

RESULTS

Compared with non-OTR prevalence of cutaneous HPV (79% vs. 49%, P < 0.01) and the number of multiple infections (62% vs. 17%, P < 0.0001) were significantly increased. The mean viral load of the wart-associated HPV was more than 10(5)-fold higher compared with human beta-PV in both cohorts.

CONCLUSIONS

The high load of wart-associated HPV suggests an active role of these viruses rather than cutaneous types in warts independent of immunosuppression; however, the substantial fraction of warts with low HPV genome copies remains to be explained.