Association between human herpesviruses and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a molecular perspective

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is the seventh most common malignant tumor. Herpesviruses are a significant risk factor in the multifactorial pathogenesis of HNC.

This study aimed to investigate the association between herpesviruses and the development of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HN-SCC).

Experimental study.

A university hospital in Turkey.

Pathological archive tissue samples of 500 patients were included in the study. These samples were categorized into two groups: those diagnosed with HN-SCC (n=300, malignant group [MG]) and those diagnosed with benign head and neck lesions (n=200, benign group [BG]). The presence of herpesvirus in samples was detected using polymerase chain reaction.

Association of herpesviruses in the development of head and neck cancer.

500 patients.

HHV-1, -2, -7, and -8 were not detected in any samples. In the malignant group (MG), EBV-DNA was detected in 1 patient (0.3%) and HHV-6 DNA in 2 patients (0.6%), while in the benign group (BG), VZV-DNA was detected in 1 patient (0.5%), EBV-DNA in 3 patients (1.5%), CMV-DNA in 5 patients (2.5%), and HHV-6 DNA in 3 patients (1.5%). While no significant difference was found between the groups for VZV, EBV, and HHV-6, a statistically significant difference was found in favor of the benign group for CMV.

Although herpesvirus seroprevalence is relatively high in the population, the lack of viral genome in tissue samples indicates that other factors might be prominent in developing HN-SCC.

The storage conditions of the sample used (paraffinized sample) may have negatively affected the detection frequency of HHVs.