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Letter
Lack of human papillomavirus in pterygium of Chinese patients from Taiwan
  1. K-H Chen1,2,3,
  2. W-M Hsu1,2,
  3. C-C Cheng1,3,
  4. Y-S Li1,3
  1. 1Department of Ophthalmology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
  2. 2National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan
  3. 3Division of Medical Engineering, National Health Research Institutes, Taipei, Taiwan
  1. Correspondence to: Dr Wen-Ming Hsu, Department of Ophthalmology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, #201, Shih-Pai Road, Section II, Taipei, 11217 Taiwan; khchen{at}vghtpe.gov.tw

https://doi.org/10.1136/bjo.87.8.1046

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    We read with interest that Gallagher et al had demonstrated the association of human papillomavirus (HPV) and pterygium by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).1 Several hypotheses concerning the pathogenesis of pterygia have been proposed, including exposure to ultraviolet irradiation2 and other environmental factors, genetic predisposition, and viral infections.3 The various theories regarding pterygium formation imply that much about the pathogenesis of pterygia remains to be investigated.

    The involvement of HPV in the genesis of pterygia is controversial. Some authors have demonstrated that HPV is present in 24–50% of specimens, whereas others have failed to detect HPV in pterygia.4–7 To help resolve this dilemma, we evaluated 65 pterygia, 23 pinguecula, and 88 normal conjunctiva derived from Chinese patients in Taiwan for the presence of HPV DNA. We used PCR with three different consensus primer sets—MY09/MY11 (MY), L1C1/L1C2-1 (LC), and GP5/GP (GP).

    Material and methods

    Samples were obtained from consecutive patients treated at the ophthalmological clinic of the Taipei Veterans General Hospital. Medical and ophthalmologic histories were recorded for each patient, a slit lamp microscope examination was performed, and pterygia were photographed before surgery. In each case, a specimen of adjacent clinically normal conjunctival tissue (from the 12 o’clock position of the corneoconjunctival limbus) was obtained. Immediately after surgery, tissue specimens (pterygia, pingueculas, or conjunctival tissues) were stored at −70°C.

    DNA preparation

    The DNA from specimens was isolated as described previously.8 Briefly, the lysis buffer (10 mM TRIS-HCl; pH 7.5, 1 mM …

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