title: Relationship of human papillomavirus to ploidy in squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck.
abstract: To establish the relationship between the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) gene sequences and the development of genetic abnormalities, 31 squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck were studied for the presence of HPV types 6b and 16 and the DNA content by flow cytometry. Eighteen (58%) cases were aneuploid. HPV DNA was present in seven (22.5%) tumors. Five of them were positive for the HPV type 6b and two for the HPV type 16. Aneuploidy was correlated with poorly differentiated tumors. No correlation was found between the presence of HPV, DNA content, or tumor differentiation. Consequently, the presence of HPV gene sequences does not seem to be related to a higher incidence of genetic abnormalities in squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital de León, Spain.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Rodrigo
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Lazo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Suárez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010039:Otorhinolaryngologic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011003:Ploidies; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D004279:DNA, Viral