Research article

Genital and cutaneous human papillomavirus (HPV) types in relation to conjunctival squamous cell neoplasia: A case-control study in Uganda

Maurits NC de Koning¹ , Keith Waddell² , Joseph Magyezi² , Karin Purdie³ , Charlotte Proby⁴ , Catherine Harwood³ , Sebastian Lucas⁵ , Robert Downing⁶ , Wim GV Quint¹ and Robert Newton⁷

¹  DDL Diagnostic Laboratory, Voorburg, The Netherlands

²  Box 4008, Kampala, Uganda

³  Centre for Cutaneous Research, Institute of Cell and Molecular Science, St Bartholomew's and the Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary, University of London, London E1 2AT, UK

⁴  Division of Surgery and Oncology, College of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK

⁵  Dept. Histopathology, KCL School of Medicine, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, UK

⁶  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Programme on AIDS, Uganda Virus Research Institute, PO Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda

⁷  Epidemiology and Genetics Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of York, Seebohm Rowntree Building, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK

author email corresponding author email

Infectious Agents and Cancer 2008, 3:12doi:10.1186/1750-9378-3-12

Published:	10 September 2008

Abstract

Background

We investigated the role of infection with genital and cutaneous human papillomavirus types (HPV) in the aetiology of ocular surface squamous neoplasia (which includes both conjunctival intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and carcinoma) using data and biological material collected as part of a case-control study in Uganda.

Results

Among 81 cases, the prevalence of genital and cutaneous HPV types in tumour tissue did not differ significantly by histological grade of the lesion. The prevalence of genital HPV types did not differ significantly between cases and controls (both 38%; Odds ratio [OR] 1.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.4–2.7, p = 1.0). The prevalence of cutaneous HPV types was 22% (18/81) among cases and 3% (1/29) among controls (OR 8.0, 95% CI 1.0–169, p = 0.04).

Conclusion

We find no evidence of an association between genital HPV types and ocular surface squamous neoplasia. The prevalence of cutaneous HPV was significantly higher among cases as compared to controls. Although consistent with results from two other case-control studies, the relatively low prevalence of cutaneous HPV types among cases (which does not differ by histological grade of tumour) indicates that there remains considerable uncertainty about a role for cutaneous HPV in the aetiology of this tumour.