Prevalence of human papillomaviruses infection in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in oral squamous cell carcinomas were studied by the polymerase chain reaction, immunohistchemical analysis and in situ hybridization. There were no significant differences in HPV prevalence for oral squamous cell carcinoma concerning age, sex, location and histlogical grades. However, the results of this study suggested that high prevalence of several HPV types, such as HPV-22, 38 and 70, were frequently detected in oral squamous cell carcinomas, indicating that HPV infection may be associated with the occurrence of oral squamous cell carcinoma.