Presence of human papillomavirus in pterygium in Taiwan.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the prevalence and possible role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in the formation of pterygia in patients in Taiwan, a tropical country with high prevalence of pterygium.


METHODS
A total of 62 patients with 65 pterygia were retrospectively examined. Ten normal conjunctiva, 8 conjunctival nevi, and 2 malignant conjunctival melanomas served as controls. HPV detection and typing were accomplished using polymerase chain reaction amplification of the viral sequences. HPV-positive specimens underwent further investigation with fluorescence in situ hybridization. Clinical histories were recorded for each patient.


RESULTS
Based on polymerase chain reaction analysis, 2 of 65 pterygia harbored HPV type 18, and they were also fluorescence in situ hybridization positive. No conjunctival control had HPV. There was no statistically significant correlation between pterygium and the presence of HPV. The presence of HPV was not significantly different between primary and recurrent pterygia.


CONCLUSIONS
The limited presence of HPV DNA in pterygium does not conclude that HPV is necessary or acting alone in the formation of pterygium, but HPV may still be implicated to play a role in some pterygia in Taiwan.
Hsiao
Ching-Hsi
CH
College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taiwan; daggerDepartment of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan.
Lee
Bor-Heng
BH
Ngan
Kah-Wai
KW
Chuang
Wen-Yu
WY
Yeung
Ling
L
Yeh
Lung-Kun
LK
Tan
Hsin-Yuan
HY
Hui-Kang
David
D
Lin
Ken-Kuo
KK
D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D015828:Eye Infections, Viral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D052161:Human papillomavirus 18 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D011625:Pterygium / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
D004279:DNA, Viral