What is papillomavirus?

Human papillomavirus is a highly specific virus that only parasitizes humans and not any other animals. Some studies have shown that this virus is related to the onset of human breast cancer and other diseases, and it is highly contagious. Currently, the most effective method is to prevent it in advance and get vaccinated. At present, the virus is still unknown to most people, so patients cannot receive effective treatment in the early stages of the disease.

Virus Introduction

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is an epitheliotropic virus that is widely distributed in humans and animals and has a high host specificity. Only humans can be infected with HPV. It has long been known that HPV can cause benign tumors and warts in humans, such as common warts and genital warts that grow on the skin and mucous membranes near the reproductive organs, as well as papillomata that grow on the mucous membranes. Since zur Hansen proposed in 1976 that HPV may be a sexually transmitted carcinogen, the study of the relationship between HPV infection and cervical cancer has become a hot topic in the study of tumor virus etiology.

Pathogen characteristics

HPV is a member of the genus A of the family Papovaviridae and is a type of small DNA virus that infects the squamous epithelium of the epidermis and mucous membranes.

The diameter is 52-55nm, it has no membrane, a regular icosahedral structure, and 72 shells on the surface. The viral genome is a double-stranded circular DNA molecule.

It is highly species-specific, with human skin keratinocytes/mucosal squamous epithelial cells being its natural hosts.

It has special epithelial tropism and only proliferates in epithelial cells with a certain degree of differentiation.

It does not spread through the bloodstream, does not produce viremia, and is not easily recognized by the immune system.

Based on the homology of HPV, more than 120 types have been discovered.

Related tumors

Actinic keratosis, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, basal cell carcinoma, malignant melanoma, seborrheic keratosis, pilonidal cyst, papillary syringocystadenoma, multiple plantar epidermal cysts, lichen sclerosus, arsenic keratosis, syringoma, eye tumors (ocular papilloma, squamous cell carcinoma, retinoblastoma), cervical cancer, esophageal cancer, lung cancer.