The absence of high-risk human papillomavirus in czech non-small cell lung cancer cases

Abstract

Aims. The purpose of our study was to examine the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in Czech patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods. A highly sensitive quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) detecting the E6 gene of HPV16, 18, 31, and 56 was designed. The limit of detection was assessed using serial dilutions of HPV-positive plasmids. The qPCR was validated on a set of 402 cervical swabs where the qPCR, Cobas, and PapilloCheck methods were tested in parallel. Finally, qPCR was used for HPV detection in a set of 80 patients with primary NSCLC, both from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) and fresh frozen (FF) tissue samples. Results. The qPCR method was able to reliably detect at least 4 copies of the E6 gene per reaction in HPV16, 18, and 31, and 40 copies per reaction in HPV56. The sensitivity and specificity of the qPCR were 75.6-99.3% and 63.9-100% respectively, depending on the HPV genotype and reference method used. HPV DNA was not detected in the FFPE and FF samples from the set of 80 NSCLC patients. Conclusion. No hrHPV DNA was found in primary NSCLC tumors from a Czech population.