Role of mucosal high-risk human papillomavirus types in head and neck cancers in Romania

BACKGROUND: Limited information is available about the involvement of human papillomavirus (HPV) in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) in Romanian patients. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the HPV-attributable fraction in HNSCCs collected in Northeastern Romania. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 189 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples (99 oral cavity tumors, 28 oropharynx, 48 pharynx, and 14 larynx/hypopharynx) were analyzed for HPV DNA and RNA using Luminex-based assays, and for overexpression of p16(INK4a) (p16) by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Of the 189 cases, 23 (12.2%) were HPV DNA-positive, comprising half of the oropharyngeal cases (14/28, 50.0%) and 9/161 (5.6%) of the non-oropharyngeal cases. HPV16 was the most prevalent HPV type (20/23, 86.9%), followed by HPV18 (5/23, 21.7%) and HPV39 (1/23, 4.3%). Only two (2/189, 1.1%) HNSCC cases were HPV-driven, i.e. positive for both HPV DNA and RNA. CONCLUSION: A very small subset of HNSCC cases within this cohort from Northeastern Romania appeared to be HPV-driven.