Human papillomavirus infection and anogenital condyloma in bone marrow transplant recipients

Background. Secondary malignant diseases are late complications after allog eneic bone marrow transplantation (BRIT). Anogenital lesions associated wit h human papillomavirus (HPV) infection have been described in renal transpl ant recipients but not after BMT, HPV types 16 and 18 are strongly linked t o the malignant transformation. Methods. In a series of 238 patients with allogeneic BMT, three had anogeni tal lesions. We looked for HPV in DNA extracted from embedded tissue to stu dy HPV genotypes, p53 expression, and ploidy. Results. In two patients, HPV sequences were detected. One of them, with gi ant condyloma, had HPV type 18 and two aneuploid clones, but p53 expression was not found, Conclusion. As in solid organ transplant recipients, anogenital condyloma m ay develop after BMT. Because the oncoprotein of HPV is able to bind and to degrade p53, it may lead to genetic instability, and subsequently to malig nant transformation.