Real-time quantitative PCR demonstrates low prevalence of human papillomavirus type 16 in premalignant and malignant lesions of the oral cavity.
OBJECTIVE
Human papillomavirus (HPV) type-16 has been associated with invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. This study examines the role of HPV-16 in the progression of oral head and neck cancer by determining the quantity of HPV-16 DNA in premalignant and malignant lesions, using real-time quantitative PCR, to more accurately determine the role of HPV-16 in oral head and neck squamous cell carcinogenesis.


METHODS
We examined 102 microdissected premalignant head and neck lesions (85 from the oral cavity), 34 invasive oral cavity squamous cell carcinomas, as well as 18 invasive tumors known to be HPV positive by traditional molecular technology for the presence of HPV-16 DNA using real-time quantitative PCR.


RESULTS
HPV DNA was detected in 1 of 102 premalignant lesions (0.98%), 1 of 34 (2.9%) invasive oral cavity carcinomas, and 14 of 18 (78%) known HPV-positive tumors.


CONCLUSIONS
HPV-16 infection and integration is seldom found in oral premalignant lesions and invasive carcinoma, and therefore rarely contributes to malignant progression in the oral cavity. Furthermore, quantitative PCR is a useful technique that reliably excludes contaminated samples and those with minimal HPV DNA content that is unlikely to be significant in carcinogenesis.
Ha
Patrick K
PK
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.
Pai
Sara I
SI
Westra
William H
WH
Gillison
Maura L
ML
Tong
Betty C
BC
Sidransky
David
D
Califano
Joseph A
JA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008396:Maryland / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009055:Mouth / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D050725:Papillomavirus E7 Proteins; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D015995:Prevalence; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D013997:Time Factors; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*
D004279:DNA, Viral; C068651:E6 protein, Human papillomavirus type 16; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral; D050725:Papillomavirus E7 Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; C059731:oncogene protein E7, Human papillomavirus type 16