The evaluation of human papillomavirus and p53 gene mutation in benign and malignant conjunctiva and eyelid lesions.

Papillomas and squamous cell carcinomas are the most common conjunctival and eyelid lesions. The etiology isstill unclear and recently human papillomavirus infection and p53 gene mutation have been taken into consideration. Theaim of our study was the evaluation of HPV DNApresence and p53 gene mutation in 45 benign and 38 malignant squamouslesions of the conjunctiva and eyelid. For HPV detection PCR-RFLP and immunohistochemical reaction were used; for p53gene mutation PCR-SSCP was used. Only 8.8% papillomas, 9.1% squamous cell cancers and 3.7% basal cell cancers (usingPCR-RFLP method) and 26.6% papillomas, 7.4% squamous cell cancers and 9.1% basal cell cancers (using immunohistochemicalreaction) were HPV positive. p53 gene mutation was evaluated in 24.4% papillomas, 54.5% squamous cell cancersand 22.2% basal cell cancers; most commonly in 6 and 7 exon. Human papillomavirus infection, opposite to p53 genemutation, is not a significant etiological factor of the benign and malignant conjunctival and eyelid lesions development