HPV16 DNA in histologically confirmed tumour-free neck lymph nodes of head and neck cancers.
BACKGROUND
Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been demonstrated in lymph node neck metastases (NM) of HPV-positive squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (HNSCC), underscoring the possible role of HPV for HNSCC progression. Reports on HPV infections in histopathologically tumour-free lymph-nodes of the SCC of the uterine cervix developing higher rates of lymph-node metastases and recurrences later in the survey of the patients was the starting point of the present study.


METHODS
The presence of HPV-DNA in primary tumours (PT, n=45), NM (n=45) and histologically confirmed tumour-free neck lymph-nodes (LN, n=102) of HNSCC from 60 patients was analysed by PCR and Southern blot hybridisation.


RESULTS
A highly positive correlation of simultaneous HPV-DNA detection in PT and NM was demonstrated. In the case of HPV-positivity of PT and/or NM [24/60 cases (40%)], 11/24 (45.8%) LN contained HPV-DNA, as well. Accepting HPV demonstration as a marker for the presence of micro-metastasis, HPV analysis would result in an upstaging of the N category in 4 out of these 11 patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Considering the high agreement of HPV-DNA detection in PT and simultaneous HPV-DNA demonstration in the draining NM corroborating the monoclonal character of the tumour cells, the HPV-DNA presence in LN seems to be indicative of micro-metastasis in these lymph nodes. Thus, HPV analysis might be another powerful tool for the definition of the N-status of HPV-positive HNSCC.
Hoffmann
Markus
M
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Germany. mhoffmann@hno.uni-kiel.de
Orlamünder
Antje
A
Sucher
Jan
J
Gottschlich
Stefan
S
Görögh
Tibor
T
Fazel
Asita
A
Ambrosch
Petra
P
Rittgen
Werner
W
Schwarz
Elisabeth
E
Kahn
Tomas
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005629:Frozen Sections; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D052162:Human papillomavirus 16 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016612:Paraffin Embedding
D004279:DNA, Viral