Intracellular Toll-Like Receptors Modulate Adaptive Immune Responses in Head and Neck Cancer

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Immunology
• Virology

Background:

• The prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) in head and neck cancers (HNC) across India remains largely uncharacterized.
• The influence of toll-like receptors (TLRs) on adaptive immune responses in HNC requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the expression of HPV DNA, p16, inflammation markers, and toll-like receptors (TLRs) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OC) and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPC) in Kerala, India.
• To explore the correlation between TLRs, inflammation, and HPV status in these cancer types.

Main Methods:

• Tumor specimens from 31 OC and 41 OPC patients were analyzed.
• Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate p16, TLR3, TLR7, TLR8, TLR9, CD4, and CD8 expression.
• Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was performed to detect 14 high-risk HPV types.

Main Results:

• HPV DNA was detected in only 3.2% of OC and 1 out of 41 OPC cases.
• p16 positivity was observed in 22.6% of OC and 24.4% of OPC, but p16 was a poor indicator of HPV positivity.
• TLR7 expression was significantly higher in OPC than OC. TLR8 and TLR7 expression correlated with inflammation scores in OPC.

Conclusions:

• HPV plays a minor role in OC and OPC in this Indian cohort, and p16 is an unreliable biomarker for HPV status.
• Intracellular TLRs, particularly TLR7 and TLR8, are associated with inflammation in OPC, indicating their potential as therapeutic targets for head and neck cancer.