Abstract
BackgroundThe role of human polyomaviruses (HPyVs) in epithelial tumors such as head and neck carcinomas (HNSCCs) including oral and oropharyngeal carcinomas has not been established. In this study, we evaluated for the first time the presence of Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV), BK human polyomavirus (BKPyV), and JC human polyomavirus (JCPyV) in HNSCCs from Chilean subjects.MethodsOne hundred and twenty HNSCCs were analyzed for the presence of MCPyV, BKPyV and JCPyV using real-time polymerase chain reaction procedures. In addition, 54 oral brushes from age- and sex-paired subjects were analyzed.ResultsOf the total of 120 HNSCCs, 15 were positive for MCPyV (12.5%). Only one case was positive for BKPyV (0.8%) and none for JCPyV (0%). In subjects without cancer, only one case (1.8%) resulted positive for MCPyV and none for JCPyV and BKPyV. MCPyV was associated with HNSCCs (p = 0.0239; OR = 7.571; 95% CI: 1.192–81.46). No association was found between age (p = 0.1996), gender (p = 0.7111) or differentiation status (p > 0.9999) and MCPyV presence in HNSCCs.ConclusionsMCPyVs were detected in HNSCCs from Chilean patients and were not detected in oral brushes from patients without cancer. More studies are warranted for defining an etiological role and clinical/molecular consequences of these viruses in HNSCCs.
Highlights
Human polyomaviruses (HPyVs) are small DNA viruses classified into the Polyomaviridae family and are widely distributed in human population [1]
Clinical-pathological features We analyzed the presence of Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV), BK human polyomavirus (BKPyV) and JC human polyomavirus (JCPyV) in Chilean patients diagnosed with oral cavity and oropharyngeal carcinomas through a retrospective study
Tanio et al reported a low MCPyV prevalence of 4.0% in oral cavity carcinoma from Japanese patients [22], while Hamiter et al described that 28.6% of squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue were positive for MCPyV DNA sequences in North American population [23]
Summary
Human polyomaviruses (HPyVs) are small DNA viruses classified into the Polyomaviridae family and are widely distributed in human population [1]. Head and neck cancers (HNCs) comprise different malignancies which include lip, oral cavity, nasopharynx, oropharynx, hypopharynx, pharynx and larynx cancer [12]. 90% of HNCs are squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs), the sixth leading cancer by incidence worldwide [12]. In Chile, it has been estimated that lip and oral cancer incidence is 1.3 cases per 100, 000 inhabitants; oropharynx and hypopharynx is 0.5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, and larynx is 1.2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants [14]. The role of human polyomaviruses (HPyVs) in epithelial tumors such as head and neck carcinomas (HNSCCs) including oral and oropharyngeal carcinomas has not been established. We evaluated for the first time the presence of Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV), BK human polyomavirus (BKPyV), and JC human polyomavirus (JCPyV) in HNSCCs from Chilean subjects
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