Assessing oral brushing technique as a source to collect DNA and its use in detecting human papillomavirus

Collecting buccal cell DNA has a number of advantages in terms of practicality and technical quality when employed for detecting human papillomavirus (HPV), arguably an important etiological factor for head and neck carcinomas. The objective of the present study was to assess oropharyngeal mucosa brushing as an effective method for collecting DNA samples and for detecting HPV. Forty-three female patients diagnosed with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, and 21 of their spouses, both groups without clinically detectable oral lesions, were submitted to quantitative and qualitative DNA analysis obtained through buccal cell brushing, with spectrophotometry assessment and beta-globin PCR. DNA samples were also checked for the presence of HPV. Efficient collection of DNA was achieved in all the sample cases. Two samples, a male and a female (not sexual partners), showed HPV-positivity. The results revealed that the oral brushing technique is an effective method for DNA collection to detect HPV, confirming that it could usefully contribute to epidemiological studies undertaken in Brazil's Public Health System. HPV detection using PCR showed that only 3.12% of the cases were HPV-positive. Although the sample was small, our study nevertheless allowed the detection of HPV in DNA samples of oral biological material.