Absent/weak CD44 intensity and positive human papillomavirus (HPV) status in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma indicates a very high survival.

ABSTRACT: Patients with human papillomavirus DNA positive (HPV(DNA+)) oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) have better clinical outcome than those with HPV DNA negative (HPV(DNA-)) OSCC upon intensive oncological treatment. All HPV(DNA+) OSCC patients may not require intensive treatment, however, but before potentially deintensifying treatment, additional predictive markers are needed. Here, we examined HPV, p16(INK4a), and CD44 in OSCC in correlation to clinical outcome. Pretreatment tumors from 290 OSCC patients, the majority not receiving chemotherapy, were analyzed for HPV DNA by Luminex and for p16(INK4a) and CD44 by immunohistochemistry. 225/290 (78%) tumors were HPV(DNA+) and 211/290 (73%) overexpressed p16(INK4a), which correlated to presence of HPV (P < 0.0001). Presence of HPV DNA,

SUBMITTER: Nasman A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3799285 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature