HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS (HPV) IS RARELY PRESENT IN NORMAL ORAL AND NASAL-MUCOSA

The association between human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical carcin omas is well known. HPV has been found in oral carcinomas and paranasa l papillomas, and the question of a causal role of HPV has yet to be a nswered. Reports on the frequency of HPV in oral and paranasal sinus t umours should be considered in relation to the frequency of HPV in nor mal oral and nasal mucosa. In the present study 61 normal individual h ad oral smears taken and 48 had nasal smears. These were examined for HPV by DNA amplification with HPV consensus primers. HPV was not found in the oral mucosa, while a single individual harboured HPV in the na sal mucosa. It is concluded that HPV is rarely present in normal oral and nasal mucosa.