Prevalence of Antibodies Against Virus-Like Particles of Epidermodysplasia Verruciformis-Associated HPV8 in Patients at Risk of Skin Cancer

• Published in: Journal of investigative dermatology Vol. 111; no. 4; pp. 696 - 701
• Main Authors: Stark, Sabine, Petridis, Athanasios K., Fuchs, Pawel G., Ghim, Shin-je, Jenson, A. Bennett, Bavinck, Jan N. Bouwes, Gross, Gerd, Stockfleth, Eggert, Pfister, Herbert
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Danvers, MA Elsevier Inc 01.10.1998; Nature Publishing
• Subjects: Antibodies, Viral - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Dermatology; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Epidermodysplasia Verruciformis - virology; Humans; Immune Tolerance; Immunocompetence; Kidney Transplantation - immunology; Medical sciences; Oncogene Proteins, Viral - chemistry; Oncogene Proteins, Viral - isolation & purification; Papillomaviridae - immunology; Papillomavirus Infections - immunology; Prevalence; psoriasis; renal transplant recipients; Risk Factors; seroepidemiology; Skin Neoplasms - epidemiology; Skin Neoplasms - etiology; Skin Neoplasms - immunology; Tumor Virus Infections - immunology; Tumors of the skin and soft tissue. Premalignant lesions; UV light; seroepidemiology; UV light; psoriasis; renal transplant recipients; Human; Skin disease; Prevalence; Antibody; Human papillomavirus 8; Serology; Papovaviridae; Epidemiology; Papillomavirus; Virus; Human papillomavirus; Immunosuppression; Tumor; Skin
• ISSN: 0022-202X; 1523-1747
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1523-1747.1998.00360.x

There is increasing evidence for widespread occurrences of infection with Epidermodysplasia verruciformis-related human papillomaviruses, both in the general population and in immunosuppressed patients. In order to test for the prevalence of antibodies directed against the native L1 epitopes exposed on the surface of the virions, we have established an IgG-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with L1 virus-like particles of the Epidermodysplasia verruciformis-specific human papillomavirus 8 as antigen to screen 567 representative serum samples from the general population and immunosuppressed/dermatologic patients. Among healthy European donors (n = 210), 7.6% were found to be seropositive. In a group of renal transplant recipients (n = 185) the antibody prevalence was elevated to 21.1%, irrespective of the presence or absence of skin cancer. High positivity rates could be detected among (i) immunocompetent patients with nonmelanoma skin tumors (45.6%, n = 79) and (ii) Psoralene/UVA treated psoriasis patients (42.9%, n = 42). In contrast, anti-human papillomavirus 8-virus-like particle antibodies were found in only 6.8% of Hodgkin lymphoma patients (n = 44).