1. ¹Department of Pathologic Anatomy and Legal Medicine, Section of Pathology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
2. ²Department of Medical Laboratory, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
3. ³Department of Experimental Medicine, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy

Correspondence: Dr M Migaldi, MD, PhD, Sezione di Anatomia Patologica, Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Policlinico, Via del Pozzo 71, 41100 Modena, Italy. E-mail: migaldi@unimo.it

Received 21 May 2004; Revised 25 June 2004; Accepted 25 June 2004; Published online 23 July 2004.

Abstract

Ameloblastomas are epithelial tumors of odontogenic origin, biologically characterized by local recurrence. Among different etiologic factors, HPV infection has been recently postulated to be somehow involved in ameloblastoma etiopathogenesis. To address this issue, we studied 18 ameloblastomas by means of immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization (conventional and amplified), polymerase chain reaction and nested-polymerase chain reaction analyses using laser capture microdissection in order to detect the occurrence of HPV in this setting. No evidence of HPV infection was detected by morphological examination, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization and conventional polymerase chain reaction, while nested-polymerase chain reaction showed a weak positive band in two cases. However, the subsequent restriction enzyme analysis carried out from the nested-polymerase chain reaction amplification products of these two samples excluded the presence of HPV subtypes 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 52, and 58. The search for HPV 6 and 11 in the same specimens was also negative. In conclusion, our data do not support an etiopathogenetic evidence for HPV in ameloblastoma.