Association between age and high-risk human papilloma virus in Mexican oral cancer patients

Studies reporting low prevalence of HPV in OSCC with declining age at presentation are increasing. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of HPV in a group of OSCC cases and controls in a Mexican population.

The matched case-control study included 80 OSCC cases and 320 controls. HPV/DNA presence was evaluated through PCR amplification using three sets of consensus primers for the L1 gene. A conditional logistic regression analysis was carried out for the matched OSCC cases and controls. Interactions between risk factors and OCSS were tested in the construction process of the models.

HPV prevalence was 5% in OSCC cases and 2.5% in controls. HPV-detected types were 16, 18 and 56. According to conditional logistics regression model, an association was detected between HR-HPV and OSCC. All HR-HPV-positive OSCC cases corresponded to young patients (<45 years), non-smokers and non-alcohol drinkers.

The HR-HPV can be a contributing factor to oral carcinogenesis, especially in younger individuals without known risk factors such as tobacco and alcohol.