title: Human papilloma virus (HPV) modulation of the HNSCC epigenome.
abstract: Currently, the human papilloma virus (HPV), in addition to tobacco and alcohol, is considered another independent risk factor for oropharyngeal squamous head and neck cancer (OPSCC), where the prevalence of HPV-16 increases to 50-90 % for the oropharynx. Also, incidence and mortality in head and neck SCC (HNSCC) continue to be higher in African Americans (AA) than in Caucasian Americans (CA). A recent study found that poorer survival outcomes for AA versus CA with oropharyngeal tumors were attributable to racial differences in the prevalence of HPV positive (+) tumors; HPV negative (-) AA and CA patients had similar outcomes (Settle et al., Cancer Prev Res (Phila) 2:776-781, 2009). Evidence indicates that a HPV+ diagnosis has significant prognostic implications; these patients have at least half the risk of death when compared with the HPV- patient, due in part to a better response to chemoradiotherapy (Fakhry et al., J Natl Cancer Inst 100:261-269, 2008).Epigenetic events of promoter hypermethylation are emerging as promising molecular strategies for cancer detection, representing tumor-specific markers occurring early in tumor progression. HPV infection is now recognized to play a role in the pathogenesis of OPSCC, where HPV+ and HPV- patients appear to be clinically and biologically distinct with reported genome-wide hypomethylation and promoter hypermethylation in HPV+ HNSCC tumors. A recent study from our group applying pathway analysis to investigate the biological role of the differentially methylated genes in HPV+ and HPV- HNSCC reported 8 signal transduction pathways germane to HNSCC (Worsham et al., Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 149:409-416, 2013).
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Henry Ford Hospital, 1 Ford Place, 1D, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA.
authors.forename: Josena K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Stephen
authors.forename: Maria J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Worsham
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D019175:DNA Methylation; D057890:Epigenomics / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D052162:Human papillomavirus 16 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck