Prevalence of Human Papillomavirus in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck Determined by Polymerase Chain Reaction and Southern Blot Hybridization: Proposal for Optimized Diagnostic Requirements

• Published in: Acta oto-laryngologica Vol. 118; no. 1; pp. 138 - 144
• Main Author: MARKUS HOFFMANN, TOMAS KAHN, CHRISTOPH G. MAHNKE, TIBOR GOEROEGH, BURKARD M. LIPPERT, JOCHEN A. WERNER
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Stockholm Informa UK Ltd 01.01.1998; Taylor & Francis; Taylor and Francis
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Blotting, Southern; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - diagnosis; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - virology; Cross-Sectional Studies; DNA Probes, HPV; Female; Human papillomavirus; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Otorhinolaryngologic Neoplasms - diagnosis; Otorhinolaryngologic Neoplasms - virology; Otorhinolaryngology (head neck, general aspects and miscellaneous); Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Papillomaviridae - classification; Papillomaviridae - isolation & purification; Papillomavirus Infections - diagnosis; Papillomavirus Infections - virology; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Sensitivity and Specificity; Tumor Virus Infections - diagnosis; Tumor Virus Infections - virology; Tumors; Human; Molecular hybridization; Squamous cell carcinoma; Prevalence; Exploration; Papovaviridae; Malignant tumor; Epidemiology; Papillomavirus; Virus; Polymerase chain reaction; Human papillomavirus; Biopsy; Head and neck; Genetics; ENT disease; Molecular biology; Southern blotting; Bibliographic review
• ISSN: 0001-6489; 1651-2251
• DOI: 10.1080/00016489850155279

Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are discussed as cofactors in the carcinogenesis of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). The prevalence of HPV infection in SCCHN is the subject of controversy since reported HPV prevalences range from less than 10% to almost 100%, depending mainly on the detection method employed. This study presents a realistic approximation to the real prevalence of HPV in SSCHN by applying polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Southern blot hybridization (SBH), which are the most sensitive and specific HPV detection methods. Diagnostic procedures were optimized by applying a ''hot-start'' PCR protocol followed by a confirmatory SBH of the PCR products to reactions using both type-specific and consensus primers and probes. DNA of 75 tumour samples and 22 normal mucosa samples of the same patients were investigated. In 14 cases genomic SBH using complete HPV genomes as probes was performed additionally. HPV DNA was detected in 17/75 (22.7%) SCCHN specimens. HPV 16 was identified in four cases, HPV 45 in three cases, and HPV 6 and 18 in one case each. Hot-start PCR and SBH are the most reliable HPV detection methods, as they minimize both false-positive and false-negative results. With these methods, a HPV prevalence of 23% was achieved, which can be assumed to be representative for comparable study populations. The significant number of positives detected only by consensus primer PCR, along with the identification of HPV 45, indicate that further HPV types may play an important role in the genesis of SCCHN.