scholarly journals Human Papillomavirus Infection in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas: Transcriptional Triggers and Changed Disease Patterns

Author(s):  
Nikita Aggarwal ◽  
Joni Yadav ◽  
Kulbhushan Thakur ◽  
Rakhi Bibban ◽  
Arun Chhokar ◽  
...  

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a heterogeneous group of cancers. Collectively, HNSCC ranks sixth in incidence rate worldwide. Apart from classical risk factors like tobacco and alcohol, infection of human papillomavirus (HPV) is emerging as a discrete risk factor for HNSCC. HPV-positive HNSCC represent a distinct group of diseases that differ in their clinical presentation. These lesions are well-differentiated, occur at an early age, and have better prognosis. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated a specific increase in the proportions of the HPV-positive HNSCC. HPV-positive and HPV-negative HNSCC lesions display different disease progression and clinical response. For tumorigenic-transformation, HPV essentially requires a permissive cellular environment and host cell factors for induction of viral transcription. As the spectrum of host factors is independent of HPV infection at the time of viral entry, presumably entry of HPV only selects host cells that are permissive to establishment of HPV infection. Growing evidence suggest that HPV plays a more active role in a subset of HNSCC, where they are transcriptionally-active. A variety of factors provide a favorable environment for HPV to become transcriptionally-active. The most notable are the set of transcription factors that have direct binding sites on the viral genome. As HPV does not have its own transcription machinery, it is fully dependent on host transcription factors to complete the life cycle. Here, we review and evaluate the current evidence on level of a subset of host transcription factors that influence viral genome, directly or indirectly, in HNSCC. Since many of these transcription factors can independently promote carcinogenesis, the composition of HPV permissive transcription factors in a tumor can serve as a surrogate marker of a separate molecularly-distinct class of HNSCC lesions including those cases, where HPV could not get a chance to infect but may manifest better prognosis.

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (31) ◽  
pp. 3152-3161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carole Fakhry ◽  
Christina Lacchetti ◽  
Lisa M. Rooper ◽  
Richard C. Jordan ◽  
Danny Rischin ◽  
...  

Purpose The College of American Pathologists produced an evidence-based guideline on testing, application, interpretation, and reporting of human papillomavirus (HPV) and surrogate marker tests in head and neck carcinomas that was determined to be relevant to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) membership. Methods The College of American Pathologists HPV Testing in Head and Neck Carcinomas guideline was reviewed by ASCO content experts for clinical accuracy and by methodologists for developmental rigor. On favorable review, an ASCO Expert Panel was convened to review the guideline contents and recommendations. Results The ASCO Expert Panel determined that the recommendations from the HPV Testing in Head and Neck Carcinomas guideline, published in 2018, are clear, thorough, and based upon the most relevant scientific evidence. ASCO endorsed the guideline and added minor qualifying statements. Recommendations It is recommended that HPV tumor status should be determined for newly diagnosed oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas. HPV tumor status testing may be performed by surrogate marker p16 immunohistochemistry either on the primary tumor or from cervical nodal metastases only if an oropharyngeal primary tumor is present. The threshold for positivity is at least 70% nuclear and cytoplasmic expression with at least moderate to strong intensity. Additional confirmatory testing may be done at the discretion of the pathologist and/or treating clinician. Pathologists should not routinely determine HPV tumor status in nonsquamous carcinomas of the oropharynx or non–oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck. When there is uncertainty of histologic type or whether a poorly differentiated oropharyngeal tumor is nonsquamous, HPV tumor status testing may be warranted and at the discretion of the pathologist and/or treating clinician. Additional information is available at: www.asco.org/head-neck-cancer-guidelines .


2015 ◽  
Vol 139 (11) ◽  
pp. 1373-1378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole V. J. Anayannis ◽  
Nicolas F. Schlecht ◽  
Thomas J. Belbin

Context Growing evidence suggests that as many as half of all oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCCs) harbor human papillomavirus (HPV) infections. Despite being more advanced at diagnosis, HPV-positive OPSCCs are associated with a better response to therapy and longer patient survival than HPV-negative OPSCCs. Human papillomavirus–positive OPSCC has also been shown to have distinct host gene expression profiles compared with HPV-negative OPSCC. Recently, this distinction has been shown to include the epigenome. It is well supported that cancers are epigenetically deregulated. This review highlights epigenetic differences between HPV-positive and HPV-negative OPSCCs. The epigenetic mechanisms highlighted include methylation changes to host and viral DNA, and host chromatin modification. We also review the current evidence regarding host DNA methylation changes associated with smoking, and deregulation of microRNA expression in HPV-positive OPSCC. Objective To provide an overview of epigenetic mechanisms reported in HPV-positive OPSCC, with analogies to cervical cancer, and discussion of the challenges involved in studying epigenetic changes in HPV-associated OPSCC in combination with changes associated with smoking. Data Sources Sources were a literature review of peer-reviewed articles in PubMed on HPV and either OPSCC or head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, and related epigenetic mechanisms. Conclusions Epigenetic changes are reported to be a contributing factor to maintaining a malignant phenotype in HPV-positive OPSCC. The epigenetic mechanisms highlighted in this review can be studied for potential as biomarkers or as drug targets. Furthermore, continued research on the deregulation of epigenetic mechanisms in HPV-positive OPSCC (compared with HPV-negative OPSCC) may contribute to our understanding of the clinical and biologic differences between HPV-positive and HPV-negative OPSCC.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-64
Author(s):  
Ashraf I. Khasawneh ◽  
Nisreen Himsawi ◽  
Jumana Abu-Raideh ◽  
Muna Salameh ◽  
Niveen Abdullah ◽  
...  

Background: In addition to smoking and alcohol consumption, human papillomavirus (HPV) is a leading etiology for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC). However, this causal association is still understudied in Middle Eastern populations. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of HPV-associated infection in the Jordanian HNSCC patients and the associated HPV genotypes. Methods: Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) squamous cell carcinoma samples of the head and neck were collected from two referral centers in Amman, Jordan to determine the existence of HPV DNA. After DNA extraction HPV infection and genotyping were identified using real-time PCR. Results: HPV DNA was detected in 19 out of 61 (31.1%) HNSCC samples. Despite screening for 28 different genotypes, HPV 16 was the only genotype identified in all examined samples. Most HPV-positive samples were obtained from the oropharynx (41.7%), oral cavity (37%), and larynx (18.2%). No significant association between HPV 16 genotype and age, sex, tobacco use, anatomical location, or tumor grade was noticed. Conclusion: This study reported a high association between HPV 16 genotype and HNSCC in Jordanian patients. These data should facilitate the implementation of appropriate HPV awareness campaigns, and activate selective prophylactic measures against HPV infection.


Cancers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 820 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghazi Alsbeih ◽  
Najla Al-Harbi ◽  
Sara Bin Judia ◽  
Wejdan Al-Qahtani ◽  
Hatim Khoja ◽  
...  

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) shows wide disparities, association with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, and prognosis. We aimed at determining HPV prevalence, and its prognostic association with overall survival (OS) in Saudi HNSCC patients. The study included 285 oropharyngeal and oral-cavity HNSCC patients. HPV was detected using HPV Linear-Array and RealLine HPV-HCR. In addition, p16INK4a (p16) protein overexpression was evaluated in 50 representative cases. Oropharyngeal cancers were infrequent (10%) compared to oral-cavity cancers (90%) with no gender differences. Overall, HPV-DNA was positive in 10 HNSCC cases (3.5%), mostly oropharyngeal (21%). However, p16 expression was positive in 21 cases of the 50 studied (42%) and showed significantly higher OS (p = 0.02). Kaplan–Meier univariate analysis showed significant associations between patients’ OS and age (p < 0.001), smoking (p = 0.02), and tumor stage (p < 0.001). A Cox proportional hazard multivariate analysis confirmed the significant associations with age, tumor stage, and also treatment (p < 0.01). In conclusion, HPV-DNA prevalence was significantly lower in our HNSCC patients than worldwide 32–36% estimates (p ≤ 0.001). Although infrequent, oropharyngeal cancer increased over years and showed 21% HPV-DNA positivity, which is close to the worldwide 36–46% estimates (p = 0.16). Besides age, smoking, tumor stage, and treatment, HPV/p16 status was an important determinant of patients’ survival. The HPV and/or p16 positivity patients had a better OS than HPV/p16 double-negative patients (p = 0.05). Thus, HPV/p16 status helps improve prognosis by distinguishing between the more favorable p16/HPV positive and the less favorable double-negative tumors.


2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (7) ◽  
pp. 030006052110225
Author(s):  
Chloé Molimard ◽  
Virginie L’Huillier ◽  
Alexis Overs ◽  
Christine Soret ◽  
Marie-Paule Algros ◽  
...  

Objectives Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a risk factor for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), which is currently increasing worldwide. We evaluated the prevalence of HPV DNA and p16 expression in HNSCC patients age <45 years compared with patients aged ≥45 years. Methods Thirty-nine patients aged <45 years who presented at Besançon University Hospital with HNSCC since 2005 were included in this retrospective study. HPV DNA was detected by HPV genotyping and p16 expression was determined by immunohistochemistry using paraffin-embedded tissues. A matched-group of 38 patients aged ≥45 years from Besançon University Hospital was included. Results The overall prevalence of HPV infection was 11.7%. HPV16 was the only genotype detected in 4/39 and 5/38 patients, and p16 was expressed in 6/39 and 4/38 patients aged <45 years and ≥45 years, respectively. Conclusions HPV-positivity and p16 expression were similar in both age groups. The results suggest that p16 immunohistochemistry may provide a prognosis biomarker for all HNSCCs, not only oropharyngeal cancers, and this should be addressed in large clinical trials.


Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1008
Author(s):  
Andrejs Lifsics ◽  
Valerija Groma ◽  
Maksims Cistjakovs ◽  
Sandra Skuja ◽  
Renars Deksnis ◽  
...  

Human papillomavirus (HPV) was proven to play a significant role in cancer development in the oropharynx. However, its role in the development of laryngeal (LSCC) and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPSCC) remains to be clarified. High-risk HPV (HR-HPV) viral proteins E6 and E7 are considered to be pertinent to HPV-related carcinogenesis. Hence, our aim was to estimate LSCC and HPSCC for HR-HPV DNA, p16, and E6/E7 oncoprotein status by using molecular virology and immunohistochemistry methods. The prevalence of HPV16 infection was 22/41 (53.7%) and 20/31 (64.5%) for LSCC and HPSCC, accordingly. The majority of HPV16+ tumor samples were stage III or IV. In most samples, the presence of either HPV16 E6 or HPV16 E7 viral protein in dysplastic or tumor cells was confirmed using immunohistochemistry. Our results suggest a high prevalence of HPV16 as a primary HR-HPV type in LSCC and HPSCC. The lack of HPV E6/E7 oncoproteins in some tumor samples may suggest either the absence of viral integration or the presence of other mechanisms of tumorigenesis. The utilization of p16 IHC as a surrogate marker of HR-HPV infection is impractical in LSCC and HPSCC.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huanhuan Wang ◽  
Yuyu Zhang ◽  
Wei Bai ◽  
Bin Wang ◽  
Jinlong Wei ◽  
...  

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a risk factor for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC). This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of IHC- p16INK4a (p16) as an alternative modality for diagnosing HPV infection. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane library for studies that evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of IHC-p16 staining. A total of 30 studies involving 2,963 patients were included from 2007 to 2019. The combined sensitivity was 0.94 (95% CI: 0.92–0.95); specificity, 0.90 (95% CI: 0.89–0.91); positive likelihood ratio (LR), 6.80 (95% CI: 5.63–8.21); negative LR, 0.10 (95% CI: 0.07–0.16); diagnostic odds ratio, 85.98 (95% CI: 55.57–133.03); and area under the curve value, 0.9550. Subgroup analysis showed that the IHC-p16 test was more consistent with the in situ hybridization (ISH) test and has greater diagnostic value for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. The diagnostic efficacy of IHC-p16 varied among countries. In conclusion, IHC-p16 has high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing HPV infection in HNSCC. The consistency of IHC-p16 findings with those of ISH indicate that their combination can be used to improve the specificity of diagnosis.


Viruses ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 922 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ebenezer Tumban

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the cause of a growing percentage of head and neck cancers (HNC); primarily, a subset of oral squamous cell carcinoma, oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, and laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. The majority of HPV-associated head and neck cancers (HPV + HNC) are caused by HPV16; additionally, co-factors such as smoking and immunosuppression contribute to the progression of HPV + HNC by interfering with tumor suppressor miRNA and impairing mediators of the immune system. This review summarizes current studies on HPV + HNC, ranging from potential modes of oral transmission of HPV (sexual, self-inoculation, vertical and horizontal transmissions), discrepancy in the distribution of HPV + HNC between anatomical sites in the head and neck region, and to studies showing that HPV vaccines have the potential to protect against oral HPV infection (especially against the HPV types included in the vaccines). The review concludes with a discussion of major challenges in the field and prospects for the future: challenges in diagnosing HPV + HNC at early stages of the disease, measures to reduce discrepancy in the prevalence of HPV + HNC cases between anatomical sites, and suggestions to assess whether fomites/breast milk can transmit HPV to the oral cavity.


2017 ◽  
Vol 142 (5) ◽  
pp. 559-597 ◽  
Author(s):  
James S. Lewis ◽  
Beth Beadle ◽  
Justin A. Bishop ◽  
Rebecca D. Chernock ◽  
Carol Colasacco ◽  
...  

Context Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a major cause of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas, and HPV (and/or surrogate marker p16) status has emerged as a prognostic marker that significantly impacts clinical management. There is no current consensus on when to test oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas for HPV/p16 or on which tests to choose. Objective To develop evidence-based recommendations for the testing, application, interpretation, and reporting of HPV and surrogate marker tests in head and neck carcinomas. Design The College of American Pathologists convened a panel of experts in head and neck and molecular pathology, as well as surgical, medical, and radiation oncology, to develop recommendations. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to address 6 key questions. Final recommendations were derived from strength of evidence, open comment period feedback, and expert panel consensus. Results The major recommendations include (1) testing newly diagnosed oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma patients for high-risk HPV, either from the primary tumor or from cervical nodal metastases, using p16 immunohistochemistry with a 70% nuclear and cytoplasmic staining cutoff, and (2) not routinely testing nonsquamous oropharyngeal carcinomas or nonoropharyngeal carcinomas for HPV. Pathologists are to report tumors as HPV positive or p16 positive. Guidelines are provided for testing cytologic samples and handling of locoregional and distant recurrence specimens. Conclusions Based on the systematic review and on expert panel consensus, high-risk HPV testing is recommended for all new oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma patients, but not routinely recommended for other head and neck carcinomas.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document