Abstract
Background:Squamous cell carcinoma(SCC)of the palatine tonsils represents approximately 15-23% of all intraoral SCC. The most frequently reported risk factors for oropharyngeal cancer are smoking and alcohol. In a recent overview of HPV and tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma(TC), 51% contained HPV DNA, and HPV-16 being the most frequent type. We aimed to clarify whether HPV directly effects on the oncogenesis and biologic behavior of TC by comparison with infection prevalence, and physical status of virus. Material and Method:We used HPV genotyping DNA chip(Biocore, Korea, Seoul) arrayed by multiple oligonucleotide probes of L1 sequence of 26 types of HPV and HPV genotypes are identified by fluorescence scanner. The copy numbers of HPV E2 and E6 open reading frames(ORF) were assessed using a TaqMan-based 5'-exonuclease quantitative real-time PCR assay. The ratio of E2 to E6 copy numbers was calculated to determine the physical status of HPV-16 viral gene. Results:We observed a significant difference in HPV prevalence between 52 TCs and 69 CFTs(73.1% vs. 11.6%), and most of the HPVs were type 16(87.2%)and non-episomal(94.1%) state. Conclusions:This study regarding HPV infection prevalence and mechanism in the largest population of palatine tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma with chronic follicular tonsillitis revealed significant difference pf HPV prevalence between TC and CFT. Most of HPV were 16 type and integrated or mixed, HPV-16 integration could be directly related to tonsillar carcinogenesis.