Human papillomavirus in head and neck carcinomas: prevalence, physical status and relationship with clinical/pathological parameters.

The association of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection to head and neck squamous cell carcinomas was evaluated in 66 patients affected by tumours of the oral cavity (n = 38), the tonsil (n = 4), the pharynx (n = 2), and the larynx (n = 22). HPV DNA was detected by PCR-based assays, recognizing late and early genes. Twenty-four cases were HPV infected (36.4%), mostly by high and/or intermediate risk types. HPV 16 was integrated in 7/12 positive tumours without site-specificity. HPV infection was not related to age, gender, tumour stage, differentiation grade, and use of alcohol and/or tobacco. The findings indicate that HPV infection may be related to a proportion of head and neck carcinomas but its association is not as clear as that found in cervical cancer.