Characteristics of the lesions and risk of malignant conversion associated with the type of human papillomavirus involved in epidermodysplasia verruciformis.

Fourteen patients with apidarmodysplasia vermucifommis were studied to correlate the type of human papilbomavimus (HPV) found in benign lesions to their clinical aspects and to the course of the disease; nine patients ware familial cases, and six had carcinomas. The type of the virus was determined by the RNA-DNA filter hybridization technique, using complementary ANA's transcribed from the DNA's of the four types of HPV's previously identified, and by immu nofluorascenca studies, using antisera specific for the four types of viruses. HPV type 3 was found in seven patients presenting lesions of only the varmuca plana type. These cases ware mostly stationary or abortive and showed no malignant conversion. HPV type 4 was detected in four patients with lesions of different types: vary flat, often reddish warts; reddish plaques; and pitymiasis vemsicobor bike pigmented or achmomic plaques. All these patients showed cancers. Both types of viruses ware found in two patients: HPV type 3 in flat wart-like lesions and, for one patient, in large confluent pigmented plaques and HPV type 4 in reddish or pitymiasis varsicobom-like plaques. One of these patients had early malignant lesions (Bowen's dis ease), and the other had multiple carcinomas. For one patient, the type of virus could not be identified because of an insufficient amount of material. These results point to the moleof virus in the pathoganasis of epidammodysplasia vammuciformis,together with genetic and immunological factors. They suggest, in addition, dif fement oncogenic potentials for viruses involved in the disease.