Abstract
Background:
The role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) among immunocompentent individuals is not well understood.
Objective:
We tested for the presence of HPV DNA in NMSC of immunocompetent patients from New England.
Methods:
Biopsies taken from 59 patients were reviewed histopathologically. A segment of the biopsy and scrapings from a site remote from the skin lesion were analyzed for HPV using a standardized polymerase chain reaction (PCR) DNA amplification assay.
Results:
Of 55 evaluable samples, 21 were histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), 25 were basal cell carcinomas (BCC), and nine had other diagnoses. Two samples were HPV-positive (3.6%): a basal cell carcinoma of the forehead and a squamous cell carcinoma of the thumbnail bed. Type analysis of these samples revealed HPV 16 from both lesions.
Conclusion:
The HPV DNA is not commonly detected in NMSCs of immunocompetent patients using standard laboratory techniques. It is possible, however, that a wider range of HPV types could be detected using more sensitive assays; this warrants further investigation.
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