title: Expression of p16 and hTERT protein is associated with the presence of high-risk human papillomavirus in Bowenoid papulosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) type E6 and E7 oncoproteins contribute to oncogenesis in multiple ways by modulating the activities of host components in cell-cycle regulation including the expression of p16 protein (p16) and human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT). The expression of p16 and hTERT protein in Bowenoid papulosis (BP) has not been studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  Biopsy samples of BP from 26 patients were subjected to in situ hybridization for various HPV strains and immunohistochemical staining for p16 and hTERT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 26 biopsy specimens, in situ hybridization using DNA probes for HPV 16/18 revealed positivity in 18 specimens (69.2%), one of which also showed positivity with the probes for HPV 6/11. HPV 31/33/35 was found in three specimens (11.5%). Two specimens (7.7%) were positive for unclassified HPV. Twenty-one BP specimens that were infected with hrHPV were positive for p16 and/or hTERT. Moderate or strong and diffuse immunostaining was observed for p16 in 15 hrHPV-infected specimens and for hTERT in 16 hrHPV-infected specimens. The expression of p16 or hTERT was each significantly associated with the presence of hrHPV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  hrHPVs were involved in inducing p16 and hTERT overexpression in BP. Moreover, our results suggested that immunohistochemical p16 and hTERT expression might be a useful marker of hrHPV infection in BP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hubei, China. liuhoujun2004@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Houjun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Urabe
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Moroi
authors.forename: Shinichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yasumoto
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kokuba
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imafuku
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Koga
authors.forename: Teiichi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aburatani
authors.forename: Masutaka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Furue
authors.forename: Yating
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16 / Q000032:analysis*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D019098:Telomerase / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D019098:Telomerase