Prevalence of HPV in suspicious oral lesions

Objective:This study determined the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in brushed oral mucosa cells from 117 patients with different types of oral mucosal lesions (50 squamous cell carcinomas, 36 potentially malignant or benign erosive-ulcerative lesions) and from 31 healthy control subjects. Methods: HPV DNA was detected by two different nested polymerase chain reactions, and genotype was determined by direct sequencing. Results: HPV prevalence was 72% in carcinomas, 80% in potentially malignant lesions, and 52% in control subjects. The risk of malignant or potentially malignant lesions was associated with HPV, but was not statistically significant. HPV-6 and HPV-16 was found in 50%, resp. 22% of HPV-positive lesions but was not associated with a particular type of lesion. HPV-18 was found in 75% of the HPV-positive healthy control subjects, whereas no cancer lesions were infected with this type. Conclusion: HPV infection was not related to age, sex, smoking or alcohol use; the presence of lesions in the oral cavity increased the risk of HPV infection.