Prevalence of human papillomavirus type 16 DNA in squamous cell carcinoma of the palatine tonsil, and not the oral cavity, in young patients: a distinct clinicopathologic and molecular disease entity.
Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck commonly affects patients in their sixth decade and older, particularly those with a prolonged history of alcohol and tobacco abuse. Less frequently, carcinomas occur in young individuals even in the absence of known risk factors. The purpose of this study is to investigate a possible relationship between these tumors and human papilloma virus (HPV). Thirty-three cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck in young patients under the age of 40 years were studied: 15 oral, 11 tonsillar, and 7 laryngeal. HPV DNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction in 10 tonsillar and 2 laryngeal carcinomas and in none of the oral tumors. Of the 12 HPV-positive tumors, 11 were HPV16 and 1 was HPV31. HPV-positive tumors had a distinct nonkeratinizing basal cell morphology, they stained diffusely and strongly with p16 antibodies, had higher Ki-67 and lower p53 staining scores as compared with the conventional keratinizing HPV negative carcinomas. It is concluded that in young patients high-risk HPV, particularly HPV16, is strongly associated with tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma and some cases of laryngeal, but not oral, tumors. The HPV-positive carcinomas have a distinct histopathologic and immunophenotypic features.
Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA. elmofty@path.wustl.edu
Samir K
SK
El-Mofty
Danielle W
DW
Lu
D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014067:Tonsillar Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D004279:DNA, Viral; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen