Epidermodysplasia verruciformis. Skin carcinoma containing human papillomavirus type 5 DNA sequences and primary hepatocellular carcinoma associated with chronic hepatitis B virus infection in a patient.

In a case of epidermodysplasia verruciformis with impaired cell-mediated immunity and multiple skin cancers human papillomavirus type 5 (HPV5) DNA sequences were demonstrated in a cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. HPV5 and HPV8 were detected in the benign disseminated skin lesions together with three newly characterized HPVs: HPV17, HPV19 and HPV24. A chronic infection with hepatitis B virus resulting in macronodular cirrhosis associated with a primary hepatocellular carcinoma was also acquired by this patient. This case provides an example of the circumstantial evidence which suggests that certain types of HPV are potentially oncogenic and stresses the importance of immune surveillance in the protection against virus-associated tumors.

[Presence of papillomavirus genomes and amplification of the c-myc and C-Ha-ras oncogenes in invasive cancers of the uterine cervix]. / Présence de génomes de papillomavirus et amplification des oncogènes c-myc et c-Ha-ras dans des cancers envahissants du col de l'utérus.

Invasive squamous cell carcinomas of the uterine cervix from 12 untreated patients were examined for the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) genomes and for the state of the oncogenes c-myc and c-Ha-ras. Blot hybridization experiments have demonstrated the presence of the genome of HPV type 16 (HPV 16) in six tumors and that of the genomes of HPV types weakly related to HPV 16 or HPV 18 in five others. In the nine tumors corresponding to advanced stages of the disease (stages 3 and 4) there was a 3-30 fold amplification of c-myc and/or c-Ha-ras. A concomitant amplification of both oncogenes was found in eight cancers. In only one of the three tumors confined to the cervix (stage 1), the oncogene c-Ha-ras was weakly amplified. Neither HPV DNA sequences, nor oncogene amplification were detected in the leukocytes of five patients. Thus, it seems likely that specific HPV types play a role in the development of carcinomas of the uterine cervix, and that cellular oncogenes, activated through an amplification process, are involved in at least some steps of tumor progression.

Detection of human papillomavirus type 5 DNA in skin cancers of an immunosuppressed renal allograft recipient.

A renal allograft recipient with an epidermodysplasia-verruciformis-like syndrome was found to have human papillomavirus type 5 (HPV-5) in his benign warty lesions and HPV-5 DNA in two of his skin cancers. This finding points to a role for HPV-5 in skin oncogenesis in renal allograft recipients.