Analysis of the presence of human papillomavirus in healthy skin exposed to sunlight in three seasons: longitudinal study in the city of Rosario in immunocompetent individuals.

FERNANDEZ BUSSY, RAMÓN JR.; BOLATTI, ELISA M; CALLIGARIS, MARÍA; CELOTTI, MILENA; SANCHEZ, ADRIANA; CHOUHY, DIEGO; CASAL, PABLO E; GIRI ADRIANA A; MOLTENI ANA; BUSSY, RAMÓN FERNANDEZ

MEDICINA CUTANEA IBERO-LATINO-AMERICANA.

Colegio Ibero Latino Americano de Dermatología (CILAD)

Año: 2018 vol. 46 p. 112 - 119

0210-5187

Introduction: Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are detectable in healthy skin. The scientific evidence suggests a possible role of certain types of genres PV-β and γ-PV in the development of nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSC), acting as cofactors synergistically with ultraviolet radiation (UV). Argentina, for its geographical position, is an area of high UV exposure due to the passage of the ozone hole in spring. Objective: To determine the characteristics of the HPV infection in healthy skin exposedto sunlight in three seasons in a group of immunocompetent individuals. Material and methods: Longitudinal study on 78 healthy people (mean age: 39 years; age range: 23-63 years; 55 women and 23 men). In each individual, three samples of healthy skin exposed to sunlight (forehead) were taken with cotton swabs (total: 234 samples) in spring, summer and winter. The state of infection and HPV type were determined by two sets of different primers: FAP and CUT. Results: 79.5% (62/78) of the people tested were positive for HPV in at least one of the seasons, while 20.5% (16/78) were HPV-negative in the three seasons analyzed. The highest prevalence of infection was observed in spring (54%,42/78), compared to summer (45%; 35/78) and winter (47%; 37/78) (p = 0.43). Infected individuals were older and had more hours of sun exposure than HPV-negative persons. Conclusions: A higher frequency of infection was observed in spring, coinciding with the passage of the ozone hole. Since infection with types of the β-PV genre is considered a risk factor for the development of NMSC in healthy individuals, these results indicate the need to implement education campaigns to minimize cumulative damage from UV exposure in a high-risk region as is Argentina.