PRESENCE OF HUMAN-PAPILLOMAVIRUS DNA AND EXPRESSION OF L-FUCOSE MOIETY IN SOME VULVAR INTRAEPITHELIAL LESIONS AND VULVAR SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMA

BACKGROUND. Human papillomavirus could reside and play an etiological role in some vulvar epithelial lesions. Human papillomavirus-infected keratinocytes might have certain biochemical changes that could be of significance in helping clinical diagnosis or elucidating the pathogen esis of some vulvar epithelial diseases. OBJECTIVE. TO detect the pres ence of human papillomavirus DNA and observe the expression pattern of L-fucose moiety in some vulvar intraepithelial lesions and vulvar squ amous cell carcinoma. METHODS. Nineteen cases of vulvar intraepithelia l lesions and 13 cases of vulvar squamous cell carcinoma from the inne r aspect of labia majora or the outer aspect of labia minora were sele cted. Polymerase chain reaction was employed to detect the presence of human papillomavirus DNA in lesional skin. Ulex europeaus agglutinin- 1 histochemistry tons used to observe the L-fucose expression pattern. RESULTS. A large proportion of vulvar intraepithelial lesions had the presence of human papillomavirus DNA, but the positive rate was low i n vulvar squamous cell carcinoma and squamous cell hyperplasia. L-Fuco se expression was much more pronounced in human papillomavirus DNA-pos itive lesions than those negative ones. CONCLUSIONS. Human papillomavi rus had an important impact on some vulvar intraepithelial lesions in this Oriental population. The expression pattern of L-fucose may be us ed as an indicator for vulvar keratinocyte transformation by human pap illomavirus. (C) 1997 by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery , Inc.