Amplification of Papillomavirus Oncogene Transcripts Assay for Bowenoid Papulosis
430
Figure 3. Amplification of papillomavirus oncogene tran-
scripts (APOT) assay. Total RNA was isolated from 4 rela-
tively large different lesions and reverse transcribed. APOT
products were visualized by agarose gel. All samples were
numbered from 1 to 4. C: control sample from episomal
transcript. M: DNA maker. G3PDH was used as control.
PCR amplification detected the bands corresponding to the
episomal form of HPV-16 transcript in samples 1, 2 and 4
(black arrow) while sample 3 showed no clear band. Also
we found an additional short band (white arrow) in sample
4.
causes various types of malignant and benign skin tu-
mors, including SCC, Bowen’s disease, and bowenoid
papulosis [1-3]. Bowenoid papulosis is benign, although
HPV-16 has been detected in most cases. In our case, we
took DNA from 10 lesions and detected HPV-16 in all
samples. However, SCC arising from a bowenoid papu-
losis has been described in some cases [4].
Persistent infection with high-risk HPV types, such as
HPV-16, 18, 31, 33, and 45, is necessary but insufficient
for cervical carcinoma development. Integration of the
HPV DNA into the host genome is one of the most im-
portant risk factors for malignant transformation [8]. The
APOT assay can detect transcriptionally activ e virus-host
fusion transcripts and distinguish between episomal and
integrated HPV DNA [6]. In addition, the assay can de-
termine the precise integ ration site of the viral genome in
host chromosomes. The APOT assay requires only a
small tissue sample and allows for the analysis of inte-
gration sites in multiple locations on the lesion.
Recently, we reported the case of a patient with multi-
ple black plaques and an erythematous nodule on the
vulva [7]. On histological exa mination, multifocal vulvar
Bowen’s disease and invasive SCC were found. APOT
assay showed that 2 locations of Bowen’s disease had
only episome-derived HPV-16 transcripts, but another 2
sites of Bowen’s disease and the nodule of invasive SCC
had HPV-16 transcripts derived from integration.
We therefore performed an APOT assay about sample
form 4 lesions in the present case. The result showed that
samples 1 and 2 showed only the bands from episome-
derived HPV-16 tra nscr ipts. No band was obser ved in the
lane of sample 3, but we did not know the reason. Also
sample 4 showed the larger and smaller bands. The for-
mer band was corresponding to that from the episomal
form. The smaller band was thought to be the band from
the integrated form, but sequence analysis could detect
only HPV-16 transcript without host sequence. We con-
cluded that there was no integration of viral genome to
host genome in this case. In fact, a 3-year follow-up did
not show transformation to SCC. We suggest that the
APOT assay is a feasible method for evaluating the
clinical degree of malignancy in bowenoid papulosis.
REFERENCES
[1] S. Majewski and S. Jablonska, “Human Papillomavirus-
Associated Tumors of the Skin and Mucosa,” Journal of
the American Academy of Dermatology, Vol. 36, No. 5,
1997, pp. 659-685.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0190-9622(97)80315-5
[2] T. M. Darragh, T. J. Colgan, J. Thomas Cox, D. S. Heller,
M. R. Henry, R. D. Luff, T. R. Nayar, J. M. Palefsky, M.
H. Stoler, E. J. Wilkinson, R. J. Zaino and D. C. Wilbur,
“The Lower Anogenital Squamous Terminology Standar-
dization Project for HPV-Associated Lesions: Back-
ground and Consensus Recommendations from the Col-
lege of American Pathologists and the American Society
for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology,” The Interna-
tional Journal of Gynecological Pathology, Vol. 32, No.
1, 2013, pp. 76-115.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/PGP.0b013e31826916c7
[3] C. J. Herquet, “Anogenital Malignancies and Pre-Malig-
nancies,” Journal of the European Academy of Derma-
tology and Venereology, Vol. 25, No. 8, 2011, pp. 885-
895.
[4] A. Yoneta, T. Yamashita, H. Y. Jin, A. Iwasawa, S. Kon-
do and K. Jimbow, “Development of Squamous Cell Car-
cinoma by Two High-Risk Human Papillomaviruses
(HPVs), a Novel HPV-67 and HPV-31 from Bowenoid
Papulosis,” British Journal of Dermatology, Vol. 143, No,
3, 2000, pp. 604-608.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2133.2000.03718.x
[5] G. Nakanishi, O. Yamasaki, Y. Nagao and T. Tanaka,
“Detection of Human Papillomavirus Type 67 from Bo-
wenoid Papulosis,” European Journal of Dermatology,
Vol. 20, No. 6, 2010, pp. 819-820.
[6] R. Klaes, S. M. Woerner, R. Ridder, N. Wentzensen, M.
Duerst, A. Schneider, B. Lotz, P. Melsheimer and M. von
Knebel Doeberitz, “Detection of High-Risk Cervical In-
traepithelial Neoplasia and Cervical Cancer by Amplifi-
cation of Transcripts Derived from Integrated Papillo-
mavirus Oncogenes,” Cancer Research, Vol. 59, No. 24,
1999, pp. 6132-6136.
[7] G. Nakanishi, K. Fujii, K. Asagoe, T. Tanaka T and K.
Iwatsuki, “Human Papillomavirus Genome Integration in
Multifocal Vulvar Bowen’s Disease and Squamous Cell
Carcinoma,” Clinical and Experimental Dermatology,
Vol. 34, No. 8, 2009, pp. e965-967.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2230.2009.03708.x
Copyright © 2013 SciRes. IJCM