LARYNGEAL DYSPLASIA AND THE HUMAN-PAPILLOMAVIRUS

The relationship between the human papillomavirus (HPV) and cancer of the upper aerodigestive trace is controversial. There is no doubt that at least some nasal, oral, pharyngeal and laryngeal carcinomas contai n HPV DNA. However, the diversity in the reported incidence of HPV in these tumours represents a major problem. In the present study we have examined 30 laryngeal dysplastic lesions for HPV by the polymerase ch ain reaction, using three different pairs of consensus primers (GP5+/G P6+, MY09/MY11 and CPI/CPII). The single HPV-positive specimen was fro m a recurrent laryngeal papilloma. The HPV type present could not be d etermined, but it was not type 6, 11, 16, 18, 30, 31, 33 or 45. Restri ction fragment length polymorphy analysis suggested a yet unknown HPV- type in this lesion. This investigation does not support the idea of H PV as an oncogenic cofactor in most laryngeal carcinomas as HPV was pr esent in only 1/30 precancerous laryngeal lesions.