An Association of Human Papillomaviruses Low Risk and High Risk Subtypes with Skin Tag

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Dermatology, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

2 Department of Pathology, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

3 Department of Microbiology, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

4 Community Health and Statistic Department, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

5 Medical Student, Mashhad, University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

6 Endodontist, Mashhad, Iran

7 Dentist, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

Objective(s)
Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are related to the genesis of various benign lesions and some malignant tumors, but no clear relationship has been identified so far between the subtypes of HPV and skin tag.
Materials and Methods
The present case-control study was designed to detect the existence of low risk and high risk HPV types in lesions of 50 patients with skin tag (case group) and normal skin around the melanocytic nevus of 30 patients (control group), using PCR.
Results
All of the samples were negative for HPV subtypes, except two samples in control group which were positive for high risk HPV. There was no significant relationship between the HPV subtypes and skin tag.
Conclusion
There is no association between skin tag and low risk and high risk human papillomaviruses.

Keywords


1. Banik R, Lubach D. Skin tags: localization and frequencies according to sex and age. Dermatologica  1987; 174:180-183.
2. Schwartz RA. Acrochordon. 2010. eMedicine. Available at: URL: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1060373. Accessed Jan 19, 2011.
3. Beutner KR, Tyring S.Human papillomavirus and human disease. Am J Med 1997; 102:9-15.
4. Dianzani C, Calvieri S, Pierangeli A, Imperi M, Bucci M, Degener AM. The detection of human papillomavirus DNA in skin tags. Br J Dermatol  1998; 138:649-651.
5. Sallam MA, Kamel MM, El Missiry AG, Helal MF. Detection of human papillomavirus DNA in skin tags. Sci J Al-Azhar Med 2003; 24:311-317.
 6. Griffin NR, Bevan IS, Lewis FA, Wells M, Young LS.  Demonstration of multiple HPV types in normal cervix and in cervical squamous cell carcinoma using the polymerase chain reaction on paraffin wax embedded material. J Clin Pathol 1990; 43:52-56.
7. Jacobs MV, de Roda Husman AM, van den Brule AJ, Snijders PJ, Meijer CJ, Walboomers JM. Group-specific differentiation between high- and low-risk human papillomavirus genotypes by general primer-mediated PCR and two cocktails of oligonucleotide probes. J Clin Microbiol 1995; 33:901-905.
8. Resnick RM, Cornelissen MT, Wright DK, Eichinger GH, Fox HS, ter Schegget J, et al.  Detection and typing of human papillomavirus in archival cervical cancer specimens by DNA amplification with consensus primers. J Natl Cancer Inst 1990; 82:1477-1484.
9. de Roda Husman AM, Walboomers JM, van den Brule AJ, Meijer CJ, Snijders PJ. The use of general primers GP5 and GP6 elongated at their 3' ends with adjacent highly conserved sequences improves human papillomavirus detection by PCR. J Gen Virol  1995; 76:1057-1062.
10. Kwok S, Higuichi R, Avoiding false positives with PCR. Nature 1989; 339:237–238.
11. el-Ghorr AA, Norval M.The role of interleukin-4 in ultraviolet B light-induced immunosuppression. Immunology 1997; 92:26-32.
12. Shreedhar V, Giese T, Sung VW, Ullrich SE. A cytokine cascade including prostaglandin E2, IL-4, and IL-10 is responsible for UV-induced systemic immune suppression. J Immunol 1998; 160:3783-3789.
13. Gupta S, Aggarwal R, Arora SK. Human papillomavirus and skin tags: Is there any association? Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol  2008; 74:222-225.