Low prevalence of human papillomavirus in oral cavity carcinomas.
BACKGROUND
Increasing evidence shows that Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is preferentially associated with some head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs), with variable infection rates reported.


METHODS
We assessed HPV involvement in HNSCC using the Roche Linear Array HPV Genotyping Test, which can detect 37 different HPV types. We examined the prevalence of HPV infection in 92 HNSCCs (oropharynx, oral cavity, and other HNSCC sites).


RESULTS
HPV was frequently detected in oropharyngeal cancers (OPCs) (16/22, 73%), but was uncommon in oral cavity cancers (2/53, 4%), and in other HNSCC subsites (1/17, 6%). HPV positive tumors were associated with patients that were 40-60 years old (p = 0.02), and node positive (p = < 0.0001). HPV 16 was the most prevalent type, but other types detected included 6, 18, 33, 35, 45, and 52/58.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results show that in contrast to oropharyngeal cancers, oral cancers and other HNSCCs infrequently harbor HPV.
Machado
Jerry
J
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Reis
Patricia P
PP
Zhang
Tong
T
Simpson
Colleen
C
Xu
Wei
W
Perez-Ordonez
Bayardo
B
Goldstein
David P
DP
Brown
Dale H
DH
Gilbert
Ralph W
RW
Gullane
Patrick J
PJ
Irish
Jonathan C
JC
Kamel-Reid
Suzanne
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology