Korean J Pathol.  2013 Apr;47(2):148-157.

Human Papillomavirus Prevalence and Cell Cycle Related Protein Expression in Tonsillar Squamous Cell Carcinomas of Korean Patients with Clinicopathologic Analysis

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. kjc@amc.seoul.kr
  • 2Department of Medical Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
  • 3Department of Radiation Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
  • 4Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Human papillomavirus (HPV)-related tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) has recently been characterized as a distinct subset with a favorable prognosis. The prevalence and clinicopathologic significance of HPV-related TSCC in Koreans are not well known.
METHODS
HPV in situ hybridization (ISH) accompanied by p53, p16, pRb, and cyclin D1 immunohistochemical staining were performed on 89 resection cases of TSCC from 2000 through 2010.
RESULTS
HPV was detected by ISH in 59 of 89 cases (66.3%). HPV-positive TSCCs were more common in younger ages (p=0.005), and tumor sizes were smaller in the HPV-positive compared to the HPV-negative group (p=0.040). Positive HPV staining was significantly correlated with p16 expression (p<0.001), pRb inactivation (p=0.003), and cyclin D1 down-regulation (p<0.001) but not with p53 expression (p=0.334). Seventeen cases that showed p16-immunopositivity with HPV-negativity by ISH were retested by HPV typing; HPV DNA was not detected in all cases. There was no significant difference between HPV-positive and HPV-negative patients either in the disease-specific survival (DSS, p=0.857) or overall survival (p=0.910). Furthermore, pRb-inactivated cases showed better DSS (p=0.023), and p53-positive cases showed worse DSS (p=0.001).
CONCLUSIONS
Although high HPV prevalence was noted, it was not correlated with histopathologic findings or survival benefit. In addition to p53 expression, pRb inactivation along with p16 overexpression and down-regulation of cyclin D1 are thought to be important pathogenetic steps for developing TSCCs.

Keyword

Human papillomavirus; Tonsillar neoplasm; Carcinoma, squamous cell; Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p16; Tumor suppressor protein p53

MeSH Terms

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell
Cell Cycle
Cyclin D1
Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16
DNA
Down-Regulation
Humans
In Situ Hybridization
Prevalence
Prognosis
Tonsillar Neoplasms
Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
Cyclin D1
Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16
DNA
Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
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