HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS TYPE-16 VARIANTS ISOLATED FROM VULVAR BOWENOID PAPULOSIS

Tissues from two cases of Bowenoid papulosis of the vulva were found t o contain human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 DNA by Southern blot hybridiza tion. Analysis of the hybridization pattern revealed differences in a restriction fragment of one specimen as compared to the HPV 16 DNA pro totype. To investigate if these differences could interfere with the e xpression of such oncogenic viral genomes, the corresponding DNA fragm ents were cloned and further analyzed. After amplification by PCR and DNA sequencing, a 213 base pairs duplication was mapped in the long co ntrol region (LCR) of this HPV 16 variant. One single PCR fragment was obtained from the other Bowenoid papulosis, which is identical in siz e with the same region in the HPV-16 prototype. The duplication in the HPV-16 LCR analyzed in this study maps upstream of a region containin g several regulatory elements. (C) 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.