Psoriasis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Psoriasis, including details on treatment, prevention, medication, causes.

Prevalence of human papilloma virus type 5 DNA in lesional and non-lesional skin scales of Italian plaque-type psoriatic patients: association with disease severity.

Prignano G, Ferraro C, Mussi A, Stivali F, Trento E, Bordignon V, Crescimbeni E, Salvati G, Degener AM, Ameglio F

Institute San Gallicano and Hospital 'San Giovanni Calibita', FBF/AFAR, Rome, Italy.

Human papilloma virus type 5 (HPV-5) has been associated closely with psoriatic skin in Polish patients, while findings from other countries have indicated a more limited prevalence. The results of the present study, in which a type-specific nested PCR was used, indicated that scales of plaque-type psoriatic skin from 54 Italian patients had a high prevalence (74.1%) of HPV-5 DNA in lesional areas, and a reduced prevalence (33.3%) in non-lesional skin (33.3%), compared to 0% of 20 healthy subjects and 3.6% in the lesional areas of 28 patients with various other dermatological diseases. Individuals negative for HPV-5 DNA had a less severe disease. No correlation was found between the presence of HPV DNA and a patient's age or sex. The data demonstrated a statistically significant association between psoriasis and HPV-5, although results in other geographical areas suggest variable virus spread or ethnic variation in virus colonisation.

Published 14 January 2005 in Clin Microbiol Infect, 11(1): 47-51.
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