Detection and typing of human papilloma virus in the oral mucosa of patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus

Recent studies have shown an increased risk of oral warts in HIV+ individuals despite treatment with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Human papilloma virus (HPV) infection has attracted a great deal of attention, not just because of the difficulty of managing oral warts but also because of the oncogenic potential of certain strains, in particular HPV-16 and -18, which have been detected in 20-30% of oral squamous cell carcinomas. Between 1999 and 2004, DNA extraction was performed using a multiplex PCR reaction to detect and type HPV in 12 HIV-positive adult with a clinicopathologic diagnosis of Oral Warts. HPV was detected in 11 of the 12 orals warts. HPV-32 was present in all subjects, whereas only one subject had a co-infection of HPV-32 and -7. Future studies should examine the specific roles of these specific HPV types and whether a potential link exists for oral premalignant lesions.