title: Role of human papillomavirus infection and other factors in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyse the association between high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) and other risk factors in the aetiology of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in an Asian population.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study is a cross-sectional analysis of 80 patients who were diagnosed with HNSCC. Patients' demographics, dietary habit, medical and social history were obtained. Surgical specimens from these patients were then histologically analysed using H&E stain and immunohistochemistry (IHC) for the presence of HR-HPV primary antibody.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High-risk human papillomavirus was detected in 41 patients, representing 51.3% of the 80 paraffin-embedded tissues of HNSCC; 27.5% of these were weak positive, 10.0% medium positive and 13.8% were strongly positive for the HR-HPV on IHC. The tongue lesions had the highest HR-HPV infection of 72.2%. No association existed between HR-HPV and patient's demographics, dietary habit and other predisposing factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The place of HR-HPV as a possible aetiological factor for HNSCC has further been established from this study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, King Edward Medical University Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iqbal
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Warraich
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Udeabor
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rana
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Eckardt
authors.forename: N C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Gellrich
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rana
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000821:virology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications*; D012307:Risk Factors; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; high-risk human papillomavirus; immunohistochemistry