Detection of human papillomavirus L1 protein in condylomata acuminata from adults with defects in cell‐mediated immunity

Abstract

Immunohistochemical assays for human papillomavirus (HPV) L1 protein, using antiserum directed against the L1 major capsid protein of bovine papillomavirus (anti-BPV serum), were performed on 101 condylomata acuminata biopsy samples from 47 men (40 of whom had intact cell mediated immunity [CMI], and 7 with conditions known to cause CMI defects), and 54 women (48 with normal CMI, and 6 with CMI defects). L1 protein was detected in 28% of all biopsies, including 20.5% of samples from patients with normal CMI and 76.9% of patients with CMI defects (P = .00002). For both males and females, L1 protein was detected significantly more often in samples from patients with CMI defects than those with normal CMI. Immunohistochemical assays of HPV 11-infected human foreskin implants grown in athymic mice were performed to optimize the conditions of the assay. Three dilutions of anti-BPV serum or preimmune rabbit serum were used. A 1:500 dilution provided readily interpretable results, while preimmune serum at this dilution did not stain to any significant degree. However, at 1:10 and 1:100 dilution, both the anti-BPV serum and preimmune serum caused an unacceptable amount of nuclear staining, making results uninterpretable. Defects in CMI may allow active viral particle assembly at an increased rate, as judged by detection of L1 protein in condylomata acuminata from these patients.