[Identification of human papilloma viruses (HPV) in inflammatory states and ear neoplasms]

High Human Papillomavirus DNA loads in Inflammatory Middle Ear Diseases

Background. Previous studies reported human papillomaviruses (HPVs) in middle ear tumors, whereas these viruses have been poorly investigated in chronic inflammatory middle ear diseases. We investigated HPVs in non-tumor middle ear diseases, including chronic otitis media (COM). Methods. COM specimens (n = 52), including chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) (n =38) and cholesteatoma (COMC) (n = 14), as well as normal middle ear (NME) specimens (n = 56) were analyzed. HPV sequences and DNA loads were analyzed by quantitative-PCR. HPV genotyping was performed by direct sequencing. Results. HPV DNA was detected in 23% (12/52) of COM and in 30.4% (17/56) of NME (p > 0.05). Specifically, HPV DNA sequences were found in 26.3% (10/38) of CSOM and in 14.3% (2/14) of COMC (p > 0.05). Interestingly, the HPV DNA load was higher in COMC (mean 7.47 copy/cell) than in CSOM (mean 1.02 copy/cell) and NME (mean 1.18 copy/cell) (P = 0.03 and P = 0.017 versus CSOM and NME, respectively). HPV16 and HPV18 were the main genotypes detected in COMC, CSOM and NME. Conclusions. These data suggest that HPV may infect the middle ear mucosa, whereas HPV-positive COMCs are associated with higher viral DNA loads as compared to NME.

Site of infections associated with human papillomavirus

INTRODUCTION

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most clinically common sexually transmitted infection due to its carcinogenic power and the high number of lesions that it causes at different sites of the human body.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Genital tract organs are the most common sites where the virus can be found, but by increasing the sensitivity of diagnostic technique, it is possible to identify viral presence in different regions of the body such as the stomach, the lung, and the urinary tract. These findings break with the traditional HPV skin/genital tropic profile and demonstrate that the virus is capable of infecting a wide variety of cells, tissues, and organs or can, at least, survive in these areas. The widespread presence of the HPV in the human body, often in latent form, led us to consider the hypothesis that HPV latency may be associated with no disease.

CONCLUSION

This observation raises further questions about the possibility of the virus not causing disease in specific sites of the human body, but rather, behaving like a commensal/opportunistic microorganism.

Malignant transformation from benign papillomatosis of the external auditory canal

OBJECTIVE

Report a case of malignant transformation of benign ear canal papillomatosis to malignant squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the temporal bone.

PATIENTS

A 73-year-old with papillomata involving the posterior and inferior walls of the right external auditory canal (EAC), which subsequently transformed into SCC.

INTERVENTIONS

Radical mastoidectomy and excision of the tumor and then radical radiotherapy.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Loco-regional disease control. Recovery of facial nerve function.

RESULTS

Approximately 20 months post-treatment, the patient remains disease free. No recovery of facial nerve function.

CONCLUSION

Malignant transformation of a benign EAC papilloma to SCC of the temporal bone has not been reported previously. The association of human papillomavirus with temporal bone SCC has been reported in small number of studies with human papillomavirus subtypes 16 and 18 isolated in a high proportion of cases. With the increased availability in genotyping, the question over whether there should be further genetic analysis of benign lesions to assess their susceptibility to malignant transformation has merit.

Papillomas of the external ear canal: report of ten cases in Chinese patients with HPV in situ hybridization

Squamous papilloma is a benign exophytic proliferation which can occur occasionally in the external ear canal. It is widely assumed that the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is an etiologic factor of papillomas. Available techniques for detection of HPV genomes include immunohistochemistry, Southern blot hybridization, in situ hybridization (ISH), and polymerase chain reaction. To our knowledge, HPV typing has not been reported on tissue sections of papillomas in the external ear canal. We report HPV ISH analysis in ten cases of papillomas, involving the external ear canal in Chinese patients. These papilloma excrescences were less than 1 cm in diameter, and were benign morphologically. Automated HPV ISH analysis was performed for the hybridization of DNA probes, including both low-risk and high-risk HPV subtypes. HPV ISH results revealed that seven out of ten cases were positive for low-risk HPV (6, 11), three cases demonstrated no hybridization for low-risk HPV probe, and none of the cases revealed any detection of high-risk HPV (16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 51, 52, 56, 58, and 66). On follow-up after 18-29 months (average 24.5 months), eight patients were doing well, with no local recurrence after excision. Two patients were lost to follow-up. Our results confirm that benign papillomas of the external ear canal are associated with low-risk HPV infection with benign behavior and neither recurrence nor high grade dysplasia.