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European Journal of Dermatology

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Human Papillomaviruses. Clinical and scientific advances. Volume 12, issue 1, January - February 2002

  • Page(s) : 107
  • Published in: 2002

Edited by J.C. Sterling and Stephen K. Tyring - Arnold, London, August 2001, 153 pages - ISBN 0340742151 - Price £ 65 Infections due to HPV are widespread. These viruses have long been known to cause banal, benign lesions (cutaneous warts and anogenital condylomas), affecting the majority of the population at some time in their lives. More recently, the involvement of HPV in the genesis of malignant lesions (such as squamous cell carcinomas of the cervix and the skin) has generated considerable interest among clinicians and research scientists. Although these viruses long eluded laboratory culture and were therefore difficult to study, progress in molecular biology techniques has allowed considerable advances in our understanding of their nature and their role in the development of mucocutaneous benign and malignant diseases; this progress also generates reasonable hope for the production and use of prophylactic vaccination. The aim of this book, written principally for clinicians, was to present current research ideas alongside present-day approaches to patient management - essentially a "gene to clinic" approach. The book contains 13 chapters totalling 153 pages, and is divided in four uneven parts: I. Introduction, II. Molecular and Cellular aspects (Biology of Human Papillomaviruses, Molecular mechanisms of HPV-associated oncogenesis, Immune responses to HPV), III. Diseases and infections (Cutaneous warts, Genital warts, HPV and oral disease, Respiratory papillomatosis, Epidermodysplasia Verruciformis, HPV and immunosuppression), IV. Future prospects (Antivirals, Vaccines, Basic Research). The chapters are written by a panel of 18 reknowned scientists actively involved in the study of clinical and basic research of HPV, mostly from the USA and the UK. The chapters are illustrated with a considerable number of colour photographs (most of which are of good quality), diagrams and tables, which facilitate understanding of the text, and are documented by a reasonable amount of recent relevant references. The chapters covering HPV biology provide a good overview to physicians who are not necessarily familiar with this topic. The chapters dealing with diseases caused by HPV are nice overviews of the diseases considered, and provide useful therapeutic guidelines. I found, however, a little surprising the fact that no chapter has been specifically devoted to anogenital cancers, closely linked with infection with high-risk HPV types, even though these are mentioned in several other chapters. The last part of the book summarizes current and future modes of treatment, and discusses the prospect of prophylactic vaccination. Overall, this book nicely covers most aspects of the biology and diseases associated with HPV. It is pleasant to read, and will certainly be useful to all physicians who have to deal with HPV infections, be they dermatologists, paediatricians, urologists, otorhinolaryngologists or dentists. It will also be of interest to most scientists involved in research related to HPV. Jean KANITAKIS, MD Department of Dermatology Ed. Herriot Hosp. (Pav. R) 69437 Lyon Cedex 03, France Fax: (+33) 472110323 e-mail: kanitak@lyon151.inserm.fr