Cloning of mucosal and cutaneous HPV sequences in a metastatic squamous cell carcinoma from an epidermodysplasia verruciformis patient

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a DNA tumor virus strongly associated with cervical neoplasias. There are over 80 different types of HPVs which can infect either mucosal or cutaneous tissue. Cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) associated with HPV are often seen in patients with epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV). EV is characterized by cutaneous lesions that progress to SCC upon UV exposure. In characterizing the HPV types associated with an unusually aggressive form of EV, we have cloned an HPV with homolog to the moderately oncogenic genital type HPV 34, the oncogenic EV type HPV 5 and from benign oral mucosal type HPV 32. The presence of sequences from these highly divergent types is a novel finding. These three viral types are from different phylogenetic branches of the HPV family believed to have evolved independently from each other.