Does human papillomavirus cause pterygium?

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the only DNA tumour virus where a large body of evidence implicates it in human cancers. The evidence for a causative role of HPV in human cervical cancer, was recently reviewed by zur Hausen,1 and is the following: (1) expression of specific HPV genes (such as E6 and E7) were shown in cervical cancer cell lines and cancer biopsies2; (2) viral DNA was shown to have immortalisation properties3,4; (3) viral oncogene expression was shown to be required for the maintenance of the malignant phenotype in specific cervical cancer cell lines5,6; (4) a substantial number of epidemiological studies have been performed which point to high risk HPV as a primary risk factor for cervical cancer. In addition, large case-control and prospective epidemiological studies supported this idea, and indicated that persisting HPV infections were the most significant risk factor in cervical cancer.7,8

Different types of HPV have been identified in a high percentage of non-melanoma skin cancers …