title: Presence of high-risk mucosal human papillomavirus genotypes in primary melanoma and in acquired dysplastic melanocytic naevi.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Some studies have shown that cutaneous and mucosal melanoma biopsy specimens harbour human papillomavirus (HPV), suggesting that this virus may play a role in development and progression of the tumour.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the presence of HPV DNA and the prevalence of different high-risk mucosal HPV genotypes in primary melanoma (PM) and in acquired dysplastic melanocytic naevi (ADMN).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-one PMs from 18 men and 33 women (median age 55.5 years), 33 ADMN from 15 men and 18 women (median age 35.1 years) and 20 control skin samples from nine men and 11 women (median age 43.5 years) were studied. All diagnoses were made after histological analysis. HPV DNA analysis was made using two different polymerase chain reaction-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (PCR-ELISA) methods, namely MY-PCR and GP-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using GP-PCR, mucosal HPVs were detected in 14 PMs (27%; P = 0.0166) and eight ADMN (24%; P = 0.0367), while with MY-PCR, mucosal HPVs were found in 11 PMs (22%; P = 0.04) and five ADMN (15%; P not significant). All control skin samples were negative for mucosal HPVs with both DNA amplification procedures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using our PCR-ELISA methods, the detection of mucosal high-risk HPV genotypes in 24% of precursor lesions (ADMN) and in 27% of PMs adds to the body of evidence indicating a colocalization of mucosal HPV and tumoral melanocytic pathologies.
authors.affiliation: Sections of Dermatology and Microbiology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. dermolap@med.unibo.it
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: La Placa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ambretti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bonvicini
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Venturoli
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Varotti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zerbini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Musiani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009508:Nevus, Pigmented / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral