Human papillomaviruses and papillomatosis lesions of the female lower genital tract.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to determine whether human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are involved in the development of papillomatosis lesions of the lower female genital tract.

METHODS

A total of 616 biopsy specimens of genital papillomatous lesions (307 nodular and 309 papular types) from 598 patients were anaylyzed for the presence of HPV DNA sequences by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). These specimens were also examined by histopathological assessment for characteristic HPV-associated cytological changes, by immunohistochemical staining for HPV-associated antigen, and by electron microscopy for the presence of virions.

RESULTS

HPV DNA sequences were found in 97.9% (140 of 143 cases) and 1.1% (1 of 91 cases) of the nodular and papular papillomatosis cases tested, respectively. In 18 patients who had both types of papillomatosis lesions, HPV DNA was invariably found only in nodular tissues. HPV-associated antigen, koilocytosis, and virions were found in 53.6% (98 of 183 cases), 70.5% (129 of 183 cases), and 5.9% (5 of 85 cases) of nodular papillomatosis lesions tested, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggest that nodular papillomatosis was closely associated with HPV infection, but that papular papillomatosis of the lower female genital tract may have an etiology other than HPV infection.