Aim: The purpose of this study was to examine the clinical and demographic characteristics linked to HPV positivity as well as the prevalence of HPV-16 and HPV-18 in OSCC, OSMF, and healthy controls.
Materials and Methods: This prospective study included 82 subjects in total, split into three groups: OSCC (n=40) patients, OSMF(n=21) patients, and healthy controls(n=21). Histopathological examination was performed in order to confirm the clinical diagnosis and HPV-16 & HPV-18 DNA were extracted and quantified from tissue samples using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Additionally, demographic information such as age, gender, tobacco use, and socioeconomic status was recorded. Associations between HPV status and different clinicopathological parameters were assessed using statistical tests, such as χ² and t-tests.
Results: HPV-16 was found in 32.5% of OSCC patients, significantly more than the 14.3% of healthy controls (χ² = 8.41, p = 0.003). Similarly, 20% of OSCC patients had HPV-18, whereas 9.5% of healthy controls did (χ² = 3.66, p = 0.05). There was no discernible difference in the prevalence of HPV-16 and HPV-18 between OSMF patients and healthy controls. OSCC patients with HPV were younger (mean age 43.77 years) than those without HPV (mean age 53.33 years) (t = 2.25, p = 0.03), and females were more likely to be HPV-positive (p = 0.04). There were no discernible correlations between HPV status and clinical staging, socioeconomic status, or tobacco use.
Conclusion: High-risk HPV, particularly HPV-16, is strongly associated with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), with a notable prevalence among younger patients and females.
Keywords: HPV-16, HPV-18, Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Oral Submucous Fibrosis, polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
