α-HPV positivity analysis in a group of patients with melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers / Analiza pozitivităţii α-HPV la un grup de pacienţi cu tumori cutanate melanocitare şi non-melanocitare

Background. Medical research has shown a continuous increase in the incidence of skin cancers, especially among young individuals. One of the ethiopathogenic factors that cause skin carcinogenesis could be the infection with some genotypes of human papillomavirus (HPV). Methods. In our study, we have analyzed alpha (α) - HPV positivity and HPV genotypes identified in melanocytic (MSC) and nonmelanocytic skin cancers (NMSC). The results were then compared with results obtained from the control group. The study included 40 cases of MSC and NMSC found in the data base of our hospital, and 40 healthy patients. In all of the cases, we identified the HPV DNA by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the viral genotypes by using α -HPV primers by Linear Array Roche kit. Results. The average α-HPV positivity in tumors was 32.50%, higher than in other studies published to date. The squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) lot had the highest α-HPV positivity (40%), followed by basal cell carcinoma (BCC) (35%) and malignant melanoma (MM) (20%). The comparative analysis between skin cancer-HPV positive (32.50%) and the control group-HPV positive (15%) revealed a positivity of HPV in the tumors group (32.50%) that was higher by a ratio of 2.16. By viral genotyping, we identified high-risk HPV only in BCC and MM (in all α-HPV samples), but not in SCC samples. Conclusions. In our study, α-HPV in NMSC and MSC was positive in 32.50% of the cases; in 46.15% of these, it was possible to identify HPV genotypes. The high-risk HPV genotypes observed in these patients were HPV 16, 35, 58 and 59.