UP-REGULATION OF INTEGRIN EXPRESSION IN BENIGN VULVAR WARTS

Benign anogenital warts demonstrate features both of hyperproliferatio n and of aberrant differentiation associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. The expression of integrins has been examined in nor mal vulvar epithelium and benign vulvar warts to determine whether HPV infection is associated with changes in integrin expression, either d uring terminal differentiation or among the proliferating cell populat ion. The expression of integrins in normal vulvar epithelium was simil ar to that seen in the epidermis, with little expression of alpha(1) a nd expression of alpha(2), alpha(3), and beta(1) at the periphery of b asal cells. In vulvar wart epithelium, alpha(1) was not significantly expressed, but upregulation of alpha(2), alpha(3), and beta(1) was see n at the periphery of cells throughout the basal and spinous layers. I n addition, alpha(2) staining was greater at foci along the basal laye r of normal vulva, whilst such heterogeneity was not detected in wart sections. Expression of beta(4) and alpha(v) was confined to the basal and lateral aspects of normal basal cells, but expressed at the perip hery of basal cells and to a lesser extent in epibasal and spinous lay ers of warts. The observed differences in integrin expression are cons istent with those reported in other hyperproliferative epithelia.