Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections that cause skin warts increase the risk of developing one skin cancer, according to a study published online in the British Medical Journal.
The human papillomavirus (HPV) has over 100 types. Some of them are sexually transmitted and may contribute either to the development of genital warts – benign but troublesome growths on the reproductive organs, which can sometimes become malignant, or to the formation of malignant neoplasms, such as cancer of the cervix, vulva, vagina, anus, the penis as well as the oral cavity (for people who practice oral sex).
Many types of HPV are transmitted through contact with the epidermis and cause warts such as warts to form on the skin. Until now, they have been considered rather mild, and studies have indicated that they may increase the risk of skin cancer, but in immunocompromised patients such as organ transplants and people with Lewandowsky-Lutz dysplasia, a rare skin condition caused by HPV in people with a specific genetic mutation.
Scientists under the supervision of prof. Margaret Karagas of Dartmouth Medical School (New Hampshire) has now shown that types of HPV that infect the skin may increase the risk of developing one of the most common skin cancers, squamous cell carcinoma, in the general population.
The study included 2366 New Hampshire residents aged 25 to 74 – 663 had squamous cell skin cancer, 898 had basal cell carcinoma, and 805 were healthy. Medical interviews were conducted with them and the level of antibodies in the blood against 16 types of HPV that infects the skin was measured. The presence of a certain concentration of antibodies is evidence of infection.
It turned out that patients with squamous cell carcinoma, but not with basal cell carcinoma, had traces of infection with the analyzed virus types much more often than healthy individuals. Infection with more types of HPV was associated with a higher risk of skin cancer. For example, squamous cell carcinoma patients were 1,4 times more likely to have antibodies to 2 or 3 types of HPV and 1,7 times more likely to have antibodies to more than 8 types of the virus than controls.
The analysis also showed that the risk of cancer associated with HPV infection was more than 3 times higher in people who used immunosuppressants such as systemic corticosteroids for a long time.
According to the authors of the study, this finding confirms the relationship between skin infection with different types of HPV and an increased risk of squamous cell skin cancer. It may contribute to better prevention of this cancer by improving the prevention and treatment of skin HPV infections.
The researchers also remind that the most important risk factor for squamous cell carcinoma remains overexposure to UV radiation. (PAP)