HPV infection and p53 inactivation in pterygium.
OBJECTIVE
Our recent report indicated that tumor suppressor gene (p53) mutations and protein aberrant expression were detected in pterygium. Inactivation of p53 by Human papillomavirus (HPV) 16/18 E6 plays a crucial role in cervical tumorigenesis. In this study, we further speculate that p53 inactivation may be linked with HPV infection in pterygium pathogenesis. To investigate the involvement of HPV 16/18 E6 in p53 inactivation in pterygium, the association between HPV 16 or HPV 18 infection, the HPV E6 oncoprotein, and p53 protein expression was analyzed in this study.


METHODS
HPV 16/18 infection was detected by nested-polymerase chain reaction (nested-PCR), the p53 mutation was detected by direct sequencing, and the p53 and the HPV 16/18 E6 proteins were studied using immunohistochemistry on 129 pterygial specimens and 20 normal conjunctivas.


RESULTS
The HPV 16/18 was detected in 24% of the pterygium tissues (31 of 129) but not in the normal conjunctiva, and the HPV16/18 E6 oncoprotein was detected in 48.3% of HPV 16/18 DNA-positive pterygium tissues (15 of 31). In addition, p53 protein negative expression in pterygium was correlated with HPV16/18 E6 oncoprotein expression but not with a p53 mutation.


CONCLUSIONS
HPV 16/18 E6 contributes to HPV-mediated pterygium pathogenesis as it is partly involved in p53 inactivation and is expressed in HPV DNA-positive pterygium.
Tsai
Yi-Yu
YY
Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Chang
Chi-Chung
CC
Chiang
Chun-Chi
CC
Yeh
Kun-Tu
KT
Chen
Pei-Liang
PL
Chang
Chi-Huang
CH
Chou
Ming-Chih
MC
Lee
Huei
H
Cheng
Ya-Wen
YW
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D020868:Gene Silencing; D016158:Genes, p53; D052162:Human papillomavirus 16 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity; D052161:Human papillomavirus 18 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011625:Pterygium / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology*; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C068651:E6 protein, Human papillomavirus type 16; C052603:E6 protein, Human papillomavirus type 18; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53