Spontaneous vulvar papillomas in a colony of mice used for pancreatic cancer research

Mice in a colony used for pancreatic cancer research and maintained in a barrier animal facility presented with vulvar masses. A census and examination of all colony animals was conducted on 17 February 2006; line, gender, and mass location were recorded; a slide caliper was used to measure the width, length, and height of each mass; and the volume of each mass was calculated. Progeny female mice from crossbreeding of the B6.FVB-Tg(Ipf1-cre)1Tuv and B6;129-Kras2tm4Tyj (KRAS^G12D/+) strains presented with external vulvar and periauricular papillomas. The papillomas were present in 41.2% of all female crossbred mice and ranged in size from 8 to 36 mm³. Age of mice and tumor size were not correlated. Compared with the B6.FVB-Tg(Ipf1-cre) 1Tuv line, the crossbred female mice were more likely to have a vulvar mass, with an odds ratio of 29.3, 95% confidence interval (1.5, 563.9) and a positive predictive value of 42.9%. Diagnostic evaluation, including electron microscopy, light microscopy, serology, and bacteriology, did not reveal a viral or other infectious etiology. Therefore, we speculate that interaction between the genetic background of the mice and the introduced Kras oncogene may be responsible for these papillomas.