title: Verrucous carcinoma of the head and neck - not a human papillomavirus-related tumour?
abstract: Association between verrucous carcinoma (VC) of the head and neck and human papillomaviruses (HPV) is highly controversial. Previous prevalence studies focused mostly on α-PV, while little is known about other PV genera. Our aim was to investigate the prevalence of a broad spectrum of HPV in VC of the head and neck using sensitive and specific molecular assays. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples of 30 VC and 30 location-matched normal tissue samples were analysed, by using six different polymerase chain reaction-based methods targeting DNA of at least 87 HPV types from α-PV, β-PV, γ-PV and μ-PV genera, and immunohistochemistry against p16 protein. α-PV, γ-PV and μ-PV were not detected. β-PV DNA was detected in 5/30 VC (16.7%) and in 18/30 normal tissue samples (60.0%): HPV-19, -24 and -36 were identified in VC, and HPV-5, -9, -12, -23, -24, -38, -47, -49 and -96 in normal tissue, whereas HPV type was not determined in 2/5 cases of VC and in 6/18 normal tissue samples. p16 expression was detected in a subset of samples and was higher in VC than in normal tissue. However, the reaction was predominantly cytoplasmic and only occasionally nuclear, and the extent of staining did not exceed 75%. Our results indicate that α-PV, γ-PV and μ-PV are not associated with aetiopathogenesis of VC of the head and neck. β-PV DNA in a subset of VC and normal tissue might reflect incidental colonization, but its potential biological significance needs further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Pathology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Katarina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Odar
authors.forename: Boštjan J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Kocjan
authors.forename: Lea
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hošnjak
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gale
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Poljak
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zidar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018289:Carcinoma, Verrucous / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: C000614131:CDKN2A protein, human; D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16; D004279:DNA, Viral; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins
keywords: head and neck; human papillomaviruses; p16 protein; polymerase chain reaction; verrucous carcinoma