HPV-16 E6 L83V variant in squamous cell carcinomas of the upper aerodigestive tract.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this prospective case series study was to determine the prevalence of HPV-DNA, analyze the E6 mRNA expression, identify intra-type variation in the E6 oncogene in upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and correlate the presence of HPV-DNA with several clinical parameters and outcome.


METHODS
Frozen samples of UADT-SCC were analyzed for the presence and characterization of HPV-DNA and RNA sequences by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR), reverse transcriptase-PCR, and direct sequencing of amplified products.


RESULTS
HPV-DNA sequences were detected in 10% of the tumors, all of which were typed as HPV-16. Positivity for HPV-16 E6/E7 mRNA was observed in five of the eight HPV-positive tumors (62.5%). The HPV-16 E6 L83V variant was present in five cases. Multivariate analysis identified a history of absence of smoking (P = 0.009) as a predictor of HPV-positive tumor. No significant differences in overall and disease free survival curves were observed between patients with HPV-positive tumors and patients with tumors without detectable HPV-DNA.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings support the etiological participation of HPV-16 in a subset of UADT-SCCs from patients lacking traditional risk factors. The potential prognostic significance of HPV-16 E6 L83V variant in HPV-16 positive UADT-SCCs should be more extensively investigated.
Dipartimento di Specialità Medico-Chirurgiche, Clinica Otorinolaringoiatrica-Centro Regionale per l'Oncologia Cervico-Facciale, Università degli Studi di Padova, Treviso, Italy. paolo.boscolorizzo@unipd.it
Paolo
P
Boscolo-Rizzo
Maria Cristina
MC
Da Mosto
Roberto
R
Fuson
Helena
H
Frayle-Salamanca
Rossana
R
Trevisan
Annarosa
A
Del Mistro
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007012:Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery / Q000821:virology; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D010610:Pharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery / Q000821:virology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D012307:Risk Factors; D016540:Smoking Cessation
D004279:DNA, Viral; C466080:E6 protein, human papillomavirus type 1; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012367:RNA, Viral