Betapapillomaviruses frequently persist in the skin of healthy individuals.
Infections with human papillomaviruses (HPVs) belonging to the genus Betapapillomavirus have been linked to the development of non-melanoma skin cancer. Although persistence is expected, systematic investigation of this aspect of betapapillomavirus (beta-PV) infection has not been conducted. This study investigated the prevalence and persistence of 25 known beta-PV types in the skin of immunocompetent individuals. Over a 2 year period, eight consecutive plucked eyebrow hair samples taken from 23 healthy individuals were analysed for the presence of beta-PV DNA. Using a recently published general beta-PV PCR and genotyping method, 61% of the individuals were beta-PV DNA positive for one or more types at intake, whereas during follow-up this percentage rose to 96%. HPV23 was the most frequently detected beta-PV type. Type-specific beta-PV DNA was detected over 6 months or longer in 74% of the individuals. In 57% of the individuals, DNA from multiple beta-PV types was detected simultaneously for 6 months or longer. When the detection intervals of all beta-PV type-specific infections in the study population were considered, a substantial proportion, 48%, lasted at least half a year. The consistent beta-PV patterns found over time in most individuals strongly suggested that beta-PV DNA detection in plucked eyebrow hairs reveals true beta-PV infection. If the minimum interval of detection was set at 6 months, persistent beta-PV infections were found in the majority of the study population (74%).
de Koning
Maurits N C
MNC
Department of Medical Microbiology, Center of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.|DDL Diagnostic Laboratory, Voorburg, The Netherlands.
Struijk
Linda
L
Department of Medical Microbiology, Center of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Bavinck
Jan Nico Bouwes
JNB
Department of Dermatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Kleter
Bernhard
B
DDL Diagnostic Laboratory, Voorburg, The Netherlands.
Ter Schegget
Jan
J
Department of Medical Microbiology, Center of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.|DDL Diagnostic Laboratory, Voorburg, The Netherlands.
Quint
Wim G V
WGV
DDL Diagnostic Laboratory, Voorburg, The Netherlands.
Feltkamp
Mariet C W
MCW
Department of Medical Microbiology, Center of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
D000328:Adult; D052686:Betapapillomavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006197:Hair / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007121:Immunocompetence; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012016:Reference Values; D012867:Skin / Q000821:virology*