Relation between human papillomavirus positivity and p16 expression in head and neck carcinomas--a tissue microarray...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Virology
• Pathology

Background:

• Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck is associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.
• p16 overexpression is strongly linked to high-risk HPV types like HPV16 and 18.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between HPV presence and p16 expression in head and neck carcinomas.
• To evaluate the utility of tissue microarrays for analyzing HPV and p16 in these tumors.

Main Methods:

• Utilized tissue microarrays for a cohort of 60 head and neck carcinomas.
• Detected HPV types 6, 11 (low-risk) and 16, 18 (high-risk) using in situ hybridization.
• Assessed p16 protein expression via immunohistochemistry.

Main Results:

• HPV16/18 was present in 30/60 tumors, HPV6/11 in 10/60 tumors, and p16 expression in 35/60 tumors.
• A statistically significant correlation was found between HPV16/18 presence and increased p16 expression.
• HPV6/11 presence also showed a significant correlation with p16 immunoreactivity.

Conclusions:

• p16 expression is a reliable indicator for HPV presence in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas.
• Tissue microarrays are effective for simultaneous analysis of HPV and p16 expression in head and neck tumors.