Frequency of HPV-16 in Saliva and Blood in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Pakistani Population

Saima Saher                                      M,Phil

Sofia Ali Syed                                   BDS, M.Phil

Asifa Iqbal                                         BDS, M.Phil

Faryal Ali Syed                                 BDS

Faiza Amin                                        BDS, MDS

Aneesa Sultan                                  PhD

Mariam Anees                                  PhD

OBJECTIVE: Pakistan is geographically located in the region where prevalence of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is high. Human papilloma virus (HPV) subtype-16 plays significant role in heterogeneity of HNSCC. The objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency of HPV-16 in both blood and saliva in HNSCC in our population and its association with clinicopathological features.
METHODOLOGY:
A total of 200 samples comprising 100 blood and 100 saliva samples were collected. Hundred samples (saliva; n=50, blood; n=50) were collected from histopathologically confirmed head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients and 100 samples (saliva; n=50 saliva, blood; n=50) were collected from healthy individuals without a history of cancer as controls. HPV-16 was detected using conventional polymerase chain reaction and gel-electrophoresis. The frequency and distribution of clinicopathological variables were calculated in percentages. Chi-square test was used to analyze the association of HPV-16 positivity with clinicopathological variables.
RESULTS:
Of 100 samples from HNSCC patients, 11 (11%) samples were positive for HPV-16. Of 11 HPV-16 positive samples, 8 (16%) were detected in saliva (n=50) and 3 (6%) were detected in plasma (n=50). Of 100 samples from control group, both blood and saliva samples were negative for HPV-16. No statistically significant association was found between HPV-16 in saliva and blood and clinicopathological characteristics (P > 0.05).
CONCLUSION:
Within the limit of current study, HPV-16 has a low-frequency in saliva and blood in HNSCC in our population. Further studies on HNSCC with large sample and HPV-subtypes are suggested.
KEYWORD:
Blood; human papilloma virus; saliva; squamous cell carcinoma.
HOW TO CITE:
Saher S, Syed SA, Iqbal A, Syed FA, Amin F, Sultan A, Anees M. Frequency of HPV-16 in saliva and blood in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in Pakistani population. J Pak Dent Assoc 2020;29(4):228-234.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25301/JPDA.294.228
Received:
07 August 2020, Accepted: 03 September 2020
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