Absence of human papillomavirus in oral cavity squamous cell carcinomas among Saudi patients

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the possible association of human papillomavirus (HPV) with oral cavity squamous cell carcinomas (OCSCCs) in Saudi Arabia. Forty-five paraffin-embedded tumor blocks that represent different subsets of OCSCCs between 2010 and 2014 were retrieved and histologically evaluated. The presence of high-risk HPV (16, 18, 31, and 33) was assessed by p16-immunohistochemistry followed by DNA detection using in situ hybridization technique. Twenty-four patients were male with the mean age of 59.3 years, and 21 patients were female with the mean age of 61.2 years. Forty-one cases were positive for p16 immunostaining, and the remaining four cases were negative. However, none of the 45 cases showed DNA-expression for any HPV subtypes (16, 18, 31, and 33). High-risk HPV appears not to be involved in the etiology of OCSCCs in older Saudi patients, but further studies with cross section of a younger age group are still required.