Association of human papilloma virus with atypical and malignant oral papillary lesions

Abstract

This study aimed to examine atypical and malignant papillary oral lesions for low- and high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and to correlate HPV infection with clinical and pathologic features. Sections of 28 atypical papillary lesions (APLs) and 14 malignant papillary lesions (MPLs) were examined for HPV by in situ hybridization and for p16 and MIB-1 by immunohistochemistry; 24 conventional papillomas were studied for comparison. Low-risk HPV was found in 10 of 66 cases, including 9 APLs and 1 papilloma. All low-risk HPV-positive cases showed suprabasilar MIB-1 staining, and the agreement was statistically significant (P < .0001). Diffuse p16 staining combined with high-risk HPV was not seen in any of the cases. A subset of HPV(-) APLs progressed to carcinoma. Oral papillary lesions are a heterogeneous group. Low-risk HPV infection is associated with a subset of APLs with a benign clinical course. Potentially malignant APLs and MPLs are not associated with low- or high-risk HPV.