Evaluation of HPV Antibodies as OSCC Risk Factors Indicator

Objective: The association of Human Papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) with oral cancer has been widely reported in the past. However, the use of HPV antibodies in the human blood, as an indicator of risk factor for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC), has not been widely explored. The primary aim of our study is to understand the association of HPV antibodies with OSCC. We have also evaluated the association of other known causal factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption and betel quid chewing with HPV infected OSCC patient. Methods: A total of 208 OSCC serum samples from the Malaysian Oral Cancer Database & Tissue Bank System (MOCDTBS) and 134 serum samples as controls group were used in this study. Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbant Assay (ELISA) was used to detect the presence of IgG and IgM antibodies to HPV 16 in OSCC samples. Nested PCR using comprehensive consensus primers was used to validate the results. Odds ratios (OR) for OSCC and 95% CI were calculated. Results: HPV 16 IgG was detected in 199 OSCC patients (95.67%) and HPV 16 IgM was detected in 43 OSCC patients (20.67%). These results suggest HPV infection may have a significant role in OSCC (OR, 13.6; 95% CI, 3.89 to 47.51). Our results also show that OSCC is more prevalent in female Indians with betel quid chewing habits. Conclusion: The results suggest that past HPV infection could be a significant indicator of risk factors in OSCC.