INVOLVEMENT OF CANINE ORAL PAPILLOMAVIRUS IN GENERALIZED ORAL AND CUTANEOUS VERRUCOSIS IN A CHINESE SHAR-PEI DOG

Severe papillomatosis developed in the oral cavity and spread througho ut the haired skin of the trunk and limbs of an 8-month-old female Chi nese Shar Pei dog. The dog had received corticosteroids prior to refer ral, which was associated with the onset of demodecosis and papillomat osis. Papillomavirus structural antigens were detected in biopsies by immunohistochemistry using a panel of monoclonal and polyclonal antibo dies. An 8.2-kilobase papillomavirus-specific DNA molecule was detecte d in the cutaneous lesions by high stringency Southern blot hybridizat ion using a cloned canine oral papillomavirus DNA probe. Restriction e nzyme analysis revealed that the virus in the cutaneous lesions was id entical to the canine oral papillomavirus. Discontinuation of the ster oids combined with the use of a mitocide, antibiotics, and an autogeno us vaccine resolved the demodecosis and papillomatosis. This case repo rt suggests that corticosteroid-induced immunosuppression can expand t he tissue tropism of papillomaviruses.