Human papillomavirus type 16 variants isolated from vulvar Bowenoid papulosis

Tissues from two cases of Bowenoid papulosis of the vulva were found to contain human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 DNA by Southern blot hybridization. Analysis of the hybridization pattern revealed differences in a restriction fragment of one specimen as compared to the HPV 16 DNA prototype. To investigate if these differences could interfere with the expression of such oncogenic viral genomes, the corresponding DNA fragments were cloned and further analyzed. After amplification by PCR and DNA sequencing, a 213 base pairs duplication was mapped in the long control region (LCR) of this HPV 16 variant. One single PCR fragment was obtained from the other Bowenoid papulosis, which is identical in size with the same region in the HPV-16 prototype. The duplication in the HPV-16 LCR analyzed in this study maps upstream of a region containing several regulatory elements.