HUMAN-PAPILLOMAVIRUS IS PRESENT IN SOME CASES OF CHILDHOOD PENILE LICHEN-SCLEROSUS - AN IN-SITU HYBRIDIZATION AND SP-PCR STUDY

Lichen sclerosus (LS) is a skin disease that may affect both sexes at all ages and at any site, Its etiology remains unknown. The observatio n of focal koilocytotic-like changes in the stratum malpighii in prepu ce samples of LS in children prompted us to investigate the presence o f HPV-DNA, Twenty-three paraffin-embedded samples of LS lesions from c hildren aged 4 to 14 years were studied using nested-PCR and in situ h ybridization (ISH), Twelve out of 23 cases amplified HPV-DNA (8 cases corresponded to HPV-DNA type 6; 2 cases each to HPV-DNA types 16 and 1 8). ISH detected HPV sequences in the nuclei of koilocytotic and some parakeratotic cells in 13 cases (9/13 also HPV-DNA positive by PCR), O ur results demonstrated the presence of HPV-DNA in roughly 70% of case s of LS of the prepuce in children, We highlight the observation of ko ilocytotic-like changes in the prepuce and its association with HPV. T he possible pathogenetic significance between the virus and the lesion is not settled.