title: Morphological characteristics of conjunctival squamous papillomas in relation to human papillomavirus infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of a broad spectrum of human papillomavirus (HPV) types in conjunctival papillomas and a possible difference in clinical and histopathological presentation of HPV-positive and HPV-negative papillomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded papilloma tissue specimens obtained from 25 patients were analysed using six different PCR-based methods targeting 87 HPV types from four different papillomavirus (PV) genera: α-PV, β-PV, γ-PV and µ-PV, and in situ hybridisation for HPV-6/HPV-11. Slides were reviewed for pedunculated or sessile growth, the presence of goblet cells, keratinising or non-keratinising epithelium, elastosis, atypia and koilocytes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  α-PV types HPV-6 and HPV-11 were detected in 19/25 (76%) conjunctival papilloma tissue specimens, 9 (47%) of which were also HPV-6/HPV-11 positive with in situ hybridisation. Six different β-PV types-HPV-9, HPV-12, HPV-20, HPV-21, HPV-22, HPV-24-were additionally detected in four cases, all of which were also HPV-6/HPV-11 positive. No γ-PVs or µ-PVs were found in any of the tested tissues samples. Extralimbal location (p=0.021), presence of goblet cells (p=0.005), non-keratinising squamous epithelium (p=0.005), and absence of elastosis (p=0.005) were associated with the presence of HPV-6/HPV-11.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We demonstrated that certain clinical and histological features are more frequently associated with HPV infection and that HPV genera other than α-PV are most probably not significant factors in conjunctival papilloma occurrence.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Pathology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Jernej
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mlakar
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Boštjan J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Kocjan
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Lea
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hošnjak
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Pathology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Jože
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pižem
authors.affiliation: Eye Hospital, University Medical Center Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Matej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beltram
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gale
authors.affiliation: Eye Hospital, University Medical Center Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Brigita
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Drnovšek-Olup
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Poljak
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003230:Conjunctival Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D015828:Eye Infections, Viral / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010212:Papilloma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral
keywords: Conjunctiva; Infection; Microbiology; Neoplasia; Pathology