Detection of mucosal human papilloma virus DNA in bowenoid papulosis, Bowen's disease and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin

Human papilloma virus (HPV) is known to be an etiologic agent for benign warts of the skin. Recently, HPV have been detected in malignant skin and mucosal diseases suggesting that HPV infection can induce malignant skin tumors. In the present study, we examined the presence of mucosal HPV DNA in normal tissue, Bowen's disease (BD), Bowenoid papulosis (BP) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin. We detected the HPV DNA with polymerase chain reactions, and identified the type by DNA sequencing. In the results, we detected HPV DNA in none of the 17 normal controls, two of the three BP (66.7%), one of the 21 BD (4.8%), and six of the 26 SCC of the skin samples (23.0%). The occurrence rates of HPV in BP and SCC were significantly elevated compared to that of normal controls (P < 0.01 and P < 0.01, respectively). In addition, the occurrence rate of HPV in BP was significantly elevated compared to that of BD (P < 0.05). The reproducibility was confirmed with a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with another primer pair. Of the two cases of BP with positive HPV DNA, one case showed HPV 31 and the other case HPV 16. The case of BD with positive HPV DNA showed HPV 31. Of the six cases of SCC with positive HPV DNA, one case showed HPV 16, another case HPV 34, and the other four cases HPV 31. These results showed that mucosal HPV, including HPV 31 and 16, could be detected in SSC of the skin. Mucosal HPV, not only the epidermodysplasia verruciformis type, appear to induce malignant skin tumors.