Elevated expression of human papillomavirus antigen in brain tissue of patients with Rasmussen's encephalitis.
To investigate the expression of human papillomavirus (HPV)-specific antigen in the brain tissue of patients with Rasmussen's Encephalitis (RE) and its possible link to the clinical manifestation of RE. The correlation between RE and HPV antigen expression in brain tissue sections was investigated using immunohistochemical (IHC) staining, pathological examination, MRI and clinical manifestations. HPV antigen expression was elevated in three out of four patients with RE, whereas there were no detectable HPV antigens in six control patients. Significant staining for HPV antigen was located mainly around or in the nucleus and cytoplasm of neurons. Among these RE patients, three with elevated expression of HPV antigens had obvious hemisphere atrophy, whereas the patient with negative staining for HPV antigens had mild atrophy. Elevated expression of HPV antigens was observed in the brain tissue of RE patients, which may correlate with hemisphere atrophy. Thus, our results may suggest that HPV infection or being a carrier of HPV may play a role in the initiation and progression of RE.