Characterization of a human papillomavirus from epidermodysplasia verruciformis lesions of a patient from Upper-volta.

A case of epidermodysplasia verruciformis in a patient from Upper-Volta is described. Slightly elevated, flat warts were observed on hands, feet, arms and legs, and pityriasis versicolor-like lesions were found mainly on the trunk. The patient showed no malignant tumors. Histological examination revealed hyperkeratosis, granulosis and moderate acanthosis with large, foamy, basophilic keratinocytes in stratum granulosum and stratum spinosum. Papillomavirus particles could be prepared from these lesions and were differentiated from known papillomavirus types by immune electron microscopy with monospecific antisera and by DNA-DNA hybridization. The viral DNA was characterized by cleavage with several restriction endonucleases and a physical map of the resulting fragments was established. The virus is designated as HPV 8. Preliminary seroepidemiologic studies with human sera indicate a rather wide distribution of HPV 8. Blot hybridization of DNA from human carcinomas with 32P-labelled virus DNA detected no HPV 8-specific sequences.