Human papillomavirus expression and p53 gene mutations in squamous cell carcinoma

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Virology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral cavity and tonsils can be influenced by viral infections and genetic mutations.
• Understanding the role of human papillomavirus (HPV) and p53 gene mutations is crucial for SCC pathogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence of HPV infection and p53 gene mutation expression in oral and tonsil SCCs.
• To correlate HPV and p53 status with clinical/pathological features and patient survival.
• To assess if HPV or p53 mutations are independent prognosticators.

Main Methods:

• Examined 58 oral cavity SCC and 42 tonsil SCC patients with 5-year follow-up.
• Used immunohistochemistry for mutant p53 protein detection.
• Employed polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphisms for HPV identification.

Main Results:

• P53 gene mutation expression was found in 66% of cases; HPV infection in 11%.
• P53 mutation showed a trend with advancing stage in oral SCC but not tonsil SCC.
• HPV correlated with improved survival in tonsil SCC patients; neither HPV nor p53 predicted overall survival.
• Both p53 mutation and HPV status correlated with alcohol and tobacco use.

Conclusions:

• HPV is an independent risk factor for oral/tonsil SCC in low alcohol/tobacco users.
• Heavy alcohol/tobacco use is strongly associated with p53 gene mutation.
• HPV infection is linked to better survival in tonsil SCC, but neither factor generally predicts tumor behavior.