P27 expression in normal epithelium and condylomas of the vulva in HIV positive and negative women.

PURPOSE: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the expression of the p27 protein in the normal epithelium and vulvar condylomas in human immunodeficiency (HIV) positive and negative patients. METHODS: Eight samples of normal vulvar epithelium were evaluated (Group A), ten of the HIV negative vulvar condyloma patients (Group B) and another eight of the vulvar condyloma HIV positive patients (Group C). The DNA of human papillomavirus (HPV) was identified by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Immunohistochemistry was the method used to evaluate the expression of p27 using monoclonal mouse antibody (Monoclonal Mouse, anti-human p27, Clone Sx 53 G8). The immunoexpression was evaluated at a magnification of 400x, counting a minimum of 1,000 cells per slide. RESULTS: The results obtained were the following: a) comparing groups A and B and groups A and C there was a significant difference in relation to the expression of the p27 protein which was 63.32% in group A and only 13.35% and 18.89% in groups B and C, respectively; b) comparing groups B and C among them, there was no significant difference. CONCLUSION: We concluded that in normal vulvar tissue the p27 protein is present in a large number of cells and that in vulval condylomas its expression is very much lowered both in HIV positive and negative cases.

Cellular subsets and epithelial ICAM-1 and HLA-DR expression in human papillomavirus infection of the vulva.

Cryostat sections of 20 clinical condylomata of the vulva induced by human papillomavirus and 5 normal control biopsies were examined using immunohistochemistry. The results indicated that in vulvar papillomavirus infection the intraepithelial Langerhans' cells showed abnormal morphology and a significantly lower density than controls. CD1a positive Langerhans' cells were also observed in dermis of condylomata, suggesting an abnormal epithelial traffic of dendritic cells. T lymphocytes with a mean CD4/CD8 ratio of 0.25 and a mean density of 267 +/- 59 cells/mm2 of epithelial section were the main cellular infiltrate in vulvar papillomavirus infection. Most of the T cells were HLA-DR negative. Those condylomata with moderate to severe mononuclear infiltrate showed leucocyte function antigen 1 positive T cells forming small clusters in the lower epithelial half around the ICAM-1 positive keratinocytes. Vulvar warts also showed epithelial areas with overlapped ICAM-1 and HLA-DR expression. Scattered T gamma-delta and B lymphocytes, macrophages and NK cells were observed among the cells of the dermal infiltrate of vulvar condylomata.