Human papilloma virus in hyperplastic tonsillar and adenoid tissues in children

Abstract

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) in childhood causes skin and anogenital warts as well as the recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, a life-threatening cause of upper airway obstruction in children. To date, the information on HPV infection in tonsillar and adenoid hyperplasia in children is limited.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the presence of HPV DNA in children with benign tonsillar and/or adenoid hyperplasia.

Methods: One hundred six samples of paraffin-embedded adenoid and/or tonsillar tissues from 102 children, 57 girls and 45 boys (age range, 2-14 years), were tested for the presence of HPV DNA using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with general primers GP5+/GP6+. HPV typing was performed by PCR with specific primers for HPV-16, -18, -33 and -11.

Results: HPV DNA was detected in 9 (8.5%) of the 106 collected specimens. The frequencies of HPV typing were 6 of 9 (66.7%) for HPV-16, 2 of 9 (22.2%) for HPV-11, zero of 9 (0%) for HPV-33 and HPV-18, whereas one HPV-positive sample remained untyped. No multiple HPV infection was detected. HPV was detected in 6 (9.4%) children with tonsillar hyperplasia and in 3 (7.1%) with adenoid hyperplasia. The mean age of children with HPV-positive specimens was lower than that of HPV-negative children (P = 0.006). No statistical correlation in the prevalence of HPV infection was observed according to children's sex, origin or residence (urban or rural).

Conclusion: Although the significance of the presence of HPV DNA in tonsillar and adenoid hyperplasias remains obscure, the PCR detection of high-risk HPV DNA should be evaluated cautiously.