HPV and theRisk of Oral and Oropharyngeal Carcinoma

Czech version

Authors: J. Klozar; P. Klimák; R. Kodet ^*; M. Saláková ^**; J. Šmahelová ^**; E. Hamšíková ^**; R. Tachezy ^**
Authors‘ workplace: Klinika ORL a chirurgie hlavy a krku 1. LF UK a FN Motol, Praha, Katedra otorinolaryngologie IPVZ, Praha, přednosta prof. MUDr. J. Betka, DrSc. Ústav patologické anatomie a molekulární medicíny 2. LF UK a FN, Praha, přednosta prof. MUDr. R. Kodet, CSc. * ^**
Published in: Otorinolaryngol Foniatr, , 2004, No. 2, pp. 60-64.
Category:

Overview

The results of epidemiological, molecular biological and immunological studiessuggest that human papillomaviruses (HPV) are most likely etiologically involved in some types ofhead and neck carcinomas. In the Czech Republic no research on the association of HPV and headand neck cancer has been done so far.The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence and a type of HPV DNA in tissuespecimens of oropharyngeal and oral cancer cases and to find out, whether clinical and epidemiologicalfeatures suchas gender, age, exposure to most frequent risk factors, sexual behavior,localization and extent of tumor could be related to the presence of HPV. In the group of patients aswell as in controls the presence of HPV DNA was also determined in cytological material from oralrinses and the presence of HPV-specific antibodies in sera was ascertained. HPV DNA was detectedby polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Southern blot hybridization, typing was performed usingnucleotide DNA sequencing. Presence of HPV-specific antibodies in sera was carried out by ELISA.HPV DNA was detected in 69% of 42 tumor samples tested. Sixty four percent of the positive tumorscontained HPV16. Non-smokers and non-drinkers had higher prevalence of HPV DNA. HPV DNApresence was not related to age, gender, and sexual behavior, size of tumor and presence of regionalmetastases. Statistically significant correlation was found among the presence of HPV DNA in thetumor tissue, in the cytological specimen from oral rinses and in the presence of HPV-specificantibodies. The level of antibodies decreased after successful treatment. This data suggest thatHPV-specific antibodiesmight serve as a specific marker of the recurrence of the disease during thefollow-up of patients. Further longitudinal study will also elucidate the possible impact of HPV DNApresence on prognosis of the disease.

Key words:
oropharyngeal carcinoma, epidemiology, HPV, antibodies.

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