Cutaneous Human Papillomaviruses Persist on Healthy Skin

Abstract

Cutaneous human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are frequently found in healthy skin and have also been implicated in non-melanoma skin cancer. For genital HPV types, a persistent infection with one of the high-risk types is a prerequisite for the development of cervical cancer. However, there is only limited data on whether infections with cutaneous HPV types persist over time. Serial forehead swab samples collected from 63 volunteers (42 healthy individuals and 31 renal transplant recipients (RTRs)), sampled 6.3 years (range: 5.0-7.0 years) apart, were analyzed for HPV using general primer PCR, cloning, and sequencing. Among the healthy individuals, the prevalences of HPV were 69% (29/42) at enrolment and 71% (30/42) at follow-up. Among the individuals positive at baseline, 48% (14/29) had a persistent infection. Among the RTRs, 71% (15/21) were positive for HPV at enrolment and 90% (19/21) at follow-up. A persistent infection was detected in 33% (5/15). In total, HPV was detected in 44 of the samples collected at baseline and the same virus was found at follow-up in 43% (19/44). Persistence was not significantly associated with age, sex, immunosuppressive treatment, history of warts, or genus of HPV. We conclude that cutaneous HPV infections commonly persist over several years on healthy skin.

Infecção pelo papilomavírus humano: etiopatogenia, biologia molecular e manifestações clínicas

“…Vegetative viral functions, synthesis of DNA and capsid proteins, as well as assembly of new viruses occur exclusively in differentiated keratinocytes. 8 PVs appear to remain in their host for long periods of life. A variety of different types of PVs can be detected in random sites of normal skin in humans and animals.…”

“…4 In addition to all of these HPVs that have been fully sequenced, there is a large number of additional types whose genetic sequence has not been obtained through conventional methods yet. 8 Different genera of HPVs share less than 60% similarity in the nucleotide sequence of the major capsid of the protein L1 ORF. Different virus species within the same genus share about 60% to 70% similarity.…”

“…This genus also involves cutaneous HPVs detected in the skin of the population in general without skin lesions, demonstrating the ubiquity and high incidence of asymptomatic infections. 4,5,8,10 Gamma-papillomavirus (Supergroup B -Subgroup B2)…”

“…Classification of these viruses is based on the species of origin and the degree of rela-tionship between viral genomes. 8 They are classified into different types by comparing the nucleotide sequence of their viral genome.…”

“…At the same time, this same genus includes non-mucosal HPV types, such as HPV 7 -associated with cutaneous warts in butchers and handlers of meat, poultry and fish, HPVs found in species 4 (HPVs 2, 27 and 57), and those found in species 2 (HPVs 3 and 10), which cause common warts on the skin. 4,8,10 Beta-papillomavirus (Supergroup B -Subgroup B1) They are divided into five different species. HPVs 5 and 8, which belong to species 1 of this genus, are the most commonly identified in the skin of individuals with epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV).…”