A pilot study on the identification of human papillomavirus genotypes in tongue cancer samples from a single institution in Ecuador

The relationship between human papillomavirus (HPV) and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma has been established. However, data from Ecuador is limited. The objective of this study was to characterize HPV infection in Ecuadorian patients with tongue cancer. Fifty-three patients with tongue cancer treated at the tertiary referral center Sociedad de Lucha Contra el Cancer (SOLCA), Guayaquil, between 2006 and 2011 were identified. Linear Array® HPV genotyping was used to identify the presence and types of HPV on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded biopsy samples from these patients with tongue cancer. HPV was identified in 42% (n=22) and high-risk (HR) HPV in 17% (n=9), with 18 different HPV types identified. The most common types were the HR HPV 33 (14%) and low-risk HPV 67 (14%), followed by the HR HPV 58. More than one HPV type was identified in 27.3% of cases. HPV 33 was frequently associated with other HPV types. No statistically significant differences in gender (P=0.58) and age (P=0.12) were observed between HPV-positive and HPV-negative cases. HPV was identified in almost half of the tongue cancer samples, with subtypes 33 and 67 being the most common. This suggested that HPV played an important role in this disease in the population studied. Given these results, current HPV vaccines may not be as effective in reducing tongue cancer rates in this population.

人乳头瘤病毒（human papillomavirus, HPV）与口咽鳞状细胞癌的关联已得到证实，但来自厄瓜多尔的相关研究数据仍较为匮乏。本研究旨在明确厄瓜多尔舌癌患者的HPV感染特征。2006年至2011年间，于瓜亚基尔市三级转诊中心厄瓜多尔抗癌协会（Sociedad de Lucha Contra el Cancer, SOLCA）接受治疗的53例舌癌患者被纳入本研究。采用线性阵列®（Linear Array®）HPV基因分型技术，对上述舌癌患者的福尔马林固定石蜡包埋活检样本进行HPV存在情况及型别鉴定。结果显示，共检出42%（n=22）的HPV阳性病例，其中高危型HPV（high-risk HPV, HR）占比17%（n=9），共鉴定出18种不同的HPV型别。最常见的型别为高危型HPV 33（14%）与低危型HPV 67（14%），其次为高危型HPV 58。27.3%的病例检出多种HPV型别，其中HPV 33常与其他HPV型别合并感染。HPV阳性与阴性病例在性别（P=0.58）及年龄（P=0.12）方面均未观察到统计学显著差异。本研究中近半数舌癌样本检出HPV，其中以33型和67型最为常见，提示HPV在所研究人群的该疾病发生过程中发挥了重要作用。基于上述结果，当前的HPV疫苗或难以有效降低该人群的舌癌发病率。