Oral HPV16 Prevalence in Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders and Oral Cavity Cancers
Kai Dun Tang,
Lilian Menezes,
Kurt Baeten,
Laurence J. Walsh,
Bernard C. S. Whitfield,
Martin D. Batstone,
Liz Kenny,
Ian H. Frazer,
Gert C. Scheper,
Chamindie Punyadeera
Affiliations
Kai Dun Tang
Saliva & Liquid Biopsy Translational Research Team, The School of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology and the Translational Research Institute, Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4059, Australia
Lilian Menezes
Saliva & Liquid Biopsy Translational Research Team, The School of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology and the Translational Research Institute, Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4059, Australia
Kurt Baeten
Janssen Diagnostics, a division of Janssen Pharmaceutical NV, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
Laurence J. Walsh
School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia
Bernard C. S. Whitfield
Logan Hospital Integrated Specialist ENT Service, Metro South Health Service District, Queensland Health, Meadowbrook, QLD 4131, Australia
Martin D. Batstone
Department of Maxillo-Facial Surgery, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, The University of Queensland, Butterfield St, Herston, QLD 4029, Australia
Liz Kenny
Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Central Integrated Regional Cancer Service, The University of Queensland School of Medicine, Queenslands Health, Brisbane, QLD 4029, Australia
Ian H. Frazer
Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia
Gert C. Scheper
Janssen Vaccines & Prevention BV, 2333CN Leiden, The Netherlands
Chamindie Punyadeera
Saliva & Liquid Biopsy Translational Research Team, The School of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology and the Translational Research Institute, Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4059, Australia
The role of human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) in oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD) and oral cavity carcinoma (OC) is still under debate. We investigated HPV16 prevalence in unstimulated saliva, oral rinse samples, oral swabs and tumour biopsies collected from OPMD (n = 83) and OC (n = 106) patients. HPV16 genotype, viral load, physical status (episomal vs. integrated) and tumour p16INK4a expression were determined. Oral HPV16 prevalence was higher in OC than in OPMD, but this difference was not statistically significant (7.5% (8/106) versus 3.6% (3/83), odds ratio (OR): 2.18, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.56, 8.48, p = 0.26). There was a significant association (p < 0.05) between oral HPV16 infection and heavy tobacco consumption. Real-time PCR results indicated that no integration events occurred in either OPMD or OC cases based on the HPV16 E2/E6 ratio. HPV16 positive OPMD and OC patients had similar HPV16 E2 and E6 viral loads. The inter-rater agreement between tumour p16INK4a expression and oral HPV16 infection was considered as fair (k = 0.361) for OC. Our data suggest that the involvement of HPV16 in oral carcinogenesis is limited.
