Human papillomavirus as a potential etiological factor and biomarker in bladder carcinogenesis: A molecular epidemiological study

Abstract

Bladder cancer is a major public health concern, and the identification of novel biomarkers is crucial for improving its diagnosis and treatment. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) has been linked to various neoplasms, though its relevance to bladder cancer (BC) is hardly known. In this study, we aimed at evaluating the presence of HPV in bladder cancer tissues and determine its utility as a potential biomarker. Nested PCR, using consensus primers MY09/11, GP5+/6+ and reference plasmids targeting HPVs 16, 18, 33, 11, 6 and 31 were employed on 50 samples from patients with bladder carcinoma. Among the 50 bladder cancer patients analyzed, 23 (46 %) tested positive for HPV, while 27 (54 %) tested negative and significant association was identified between HPV infection and key clinical parameters including tumor stage (P = 0.031**), tumor grade (P = 0.007**) and muscle invasion (P = 0.046*). High-risk HPV genotypes, specifically type 16 was the most prevalent and was detected in 11 (47.8 %) of bladder cancer cases. Single HPV infection 18 (78.2 %) was more common than co-infection cases 5 (21.7 %), though no statistical significance was observed between infection type and patients' clinicopathological parameters. Our findings revealed a significant association between HPV infection and advanced tumor characteristics, particularly with higher tumor grade and pathological T-stage. High-risk HPV genotypes, notably types 16 and 18, were the most frequently observed, suggesting a potential role for high-risk HPV subtypes in bladder tumor progression. These findings underscore the possible contribution of HPV in bladder carcinogenesis and suggest that infection with the virus, particularly with high-risk strains, could serve as a valuable biomarker for early bladder cancer diagnosis and risk assessment. Targeting HPV in bladder cancer tissues may thus pave the way for HPV-based diagnostic and prognostic tools and tailored therapeutic approaches.