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Human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 and the prognosis of head and neck cancer in a geographical region with a low prevalence of HPV infection

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Abstract

Background

The role of human papillomavirus (HPV) on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) survival in regions with low HPV prevalence is not yet clear. We evaluated the HPV16 infection on survival of HNSCC Brazilian patient series.

Methods

This cohort comprised 1,093 HNSCC cases recruited from 1998 to 2008 in four Brazilian cities and followed up until June 2009. HPV16 antibodies were analyzed by multiplex Luminex assay. In a subset of 398 fresh frozen or paraffin blocks of HNSCC specimens, we analyzed for HPV16 DNA by L1 generic primer polymerase chain reaction. HNSCC survival according to HPV16 antibodies was evaluated through Kaplan–Meier method and Cox regression.

Results

Prevalence of HPV16 E6 and E6/E7 antibodies was higher in oropharyngeal cancer than in other head and neck tumor sites. HPV16 DNA positive in tumor tissue was also higher in the oropharynx. Seropositivity for HPV16 E6 antibodies was correlated with improved HNSCC survival and oropharyngeal cancer. The presence of HPV16 E6/E7 antibodies was correlated with improved HNSCC survival and oropharyngeal cancer survival. The death risk of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma patients HPV16 E6/E7 antibodies positive was 78 % lower than to those who test negative.

Conclusion

Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma is less aggressive in the HPV16 E6/E7 positive serology patients. HPV16 E6/E7 antibody is a clinically sensible surrogate prognostic marker of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) [10/50733-6; 09/52031-1 and 04/12054-9] and by the European Commission [IC18-CT97-0222].

Conflict of interest

None declared.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 715, São Paulo, CEP 01246-904, Brazil

    Rossana Verónica Mendoza López & Victor Wünsch-Filho

  2. Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa, Hospital de Câncer de Barretos, Barretos, Brazil

    Rossana Verónica Mendoza López

  3. Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    José Eduardo Levi

  4. Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    José Eluf-Neto

  5. Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Rosalina Jorge Koifman & Sergio Koifman

  6. Hospital Araujo Jorge, Goiânia, Brazil

    Maria Paula Curado

  7. International Prevention Research Institute, Lyon, France

    Maria Paula Curado & Paolo Boffetta

  8. Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Pedro Michaluart-Junior

  9. Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil

    David Livingstone Alves Figueiredo & Fabiano Pinto Saggioro

  10. Hospital Heliópolis, São Paulo, Brazil

    Marcos Brasilino de Carvalho

  11. Hospital do Câncer A.C. Camargo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Luiz Paulo Kowalski

  12. Hospital São Paulo, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Márcio Abrahão

  13. Instituto do Câncer Arnaldo Viera de Carvalho, São Paulo, Brazil

    Francisco de Góis-Filho

  14. Faculdade de Medicina de São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil

    Eloiza Helena Tajara

  15. German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany

    Tim Waterboer

  16. The Tisch Cancer Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Paolo Boffetta

  17. International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France

    Paul Brennan

Authors
  1. Rossana Verónica Mendoza López
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  2. José Eduardo Levi
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  3. José Eluf-Neto
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  18. Victor Wünsch-Filho
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rossana Verónica Mendoza López.

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López, R.V.M., Levi, J.E., Eluf-Neto, J. et al. Human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 and the prognosis of head and neck cancer in a geographical region with a low prevalence of HPV infection. Cancer Causes Control 25, 461–471 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-014-0348-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-014-0348-8

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