title: Human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated neonatal giant cell hepatitis (NGCH).
abstract: Neonatal giant cell hepatitis (NGCH) is a clinicopathological syndrome that has been related to perinatal infections and metabolic disorders. In a great number of cases no apparent etiology has been found. To characterize the possible relationship between human papillomavirus (HPV) and idiopathic NGCH (INGCH) we analyzed paraffin-embedded hepatic biopsies from seven cases of INGCH for the presence of both HPV and cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA. Clinically, jaundice, detected within the first 3 days of life (except in one case), and raised levels of serum transaminases and bilirubin, mainly the direct fraction, were recorded in all. Follow-up of six patients revealed complete recovery. In a "blind" experiment, samples were studied along with appropriate controls [2 cases of CMV hepatitis, one case of postinfantile GCH, 12 cases of juvenile laryngeal papillomatosis (JLP), and 5 normal neonatal liver samples] by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). All DNA samples from INGCH consistently showed positive HPV DNA amplification. This was also found in the samples from postinfantile GCH and JLP. In addition, a second biopsy performed 11 months later in one of the cases of INGCH revealed scattered multinucleated hepatocytes and was still positive for HPV DNA. CMV-DNA was detected only in the cases of CMV hepatitis. All five normal livers were negative for HPV and CMV-DNA. These data seem to indicate that HPV may be closely related to a subset of "idiopathic" NGCH with good outcome.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Patología, Hospital de Niños, La Plata, Argentina.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Drut
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gómez
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Drut
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Lojo
mesh_terms: D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D015726:Giant Cells / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral