Human papillomaviruses in oral epithelial lesions. Comparative study between histopathology and immunohistochemistry...

Forty five oral papillary lesions classified clinically and histologically as condylomatous papilloma, hyperkeratotic papilloma and oral wart were subjected to histopathological evaluation and tested with Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) antiserum, in order to detect HPV group-specific antigens. The immunoperoxidase labelling technique was positive in 10% of 31 condylomatous papillomas, 22% of 9 hyperkeratotic papillomas, and 60% of 5 oral warts. No viral antigens could be detected in 4 oral fibromas used as negative controls. The study of presumed HPV cytopathogenic effects showed that koilocytosis of varying extent was regularly observed and quantified, while three types of koilocytotic cells could be identified. As it is now evident that HPVs play an important role in oral epithelial lesions, the recognition of their cytopathogenic effects in the infected oral mucosae is of increasing interest.