[Detection of human papillomavirus in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma]

To investigate the infection rate and subtypes of human papilloma virus(HPV) in patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and analyze the clinicopathologic features of patients with or without HPV infection.

A total of 66 biopsy or surgical specimens of OSCC archived in the Pathology Department of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the generic amplification products were detected by DNA enzyme immunoassay (DEIA) and typed by reverse hybridization line probe assay.

HPV-DNA was detected in 11 (16.7%) of all specimens. Among them, 7 were infected with HPV-16,and the remaining 4 patients were infected with HPV-16/11, HPV-35, HPV-58/52, and HPV-33/52/54, respectively. HPV-16 was detected in 72.7% of all positive specimens. There were more females in HPV-positive group than HPV-negative group (36.4% vs. 1.8%,P=0.002). Patients with HPV-positive tumors were more likely to be non-smokers (36.4% vs. 0,p=0.001) and non-drinkers (45.5% vs. 1.8%,p=0.001) than those with HPV-negative tumors. The proportion of moderately or poorly differentiated tumors was higher in HPV-positive patients than HPV-negative patients (81.8% vs. 63.7%), although without statistical significance (p=0.409). No difference was observed in T classification, N classification, and overall tumor stage.

HPV infection rate was 16.7% in this cohort. HPV-positive OSCC has its unique etiologic and clinicopathological characteristics.