Usefulness of human papillomavirus detection in oral rinse as a biomarker of oropharyngeal cancer

Conclusion: The detection of human papillomavirus (HPV)-DNA in oral rinse with auto-nested GP5+/GP6?+?PCR is useful as a biomarker of oropharyngeal cancer.

Background: This study aimed to determine the usefulness of oral rinse to detect HPV-DNA as a biomarker of HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer (OPC).

Patients and methods: One hundred and ten patients with various head and neck diseases, including 19 patients with OPC, were enrolled. Oral rinse and tonsillar swab were collected, and auto-nested GP5+/GP6?+?PCR for HPV-DNA was performed. For oropharyngeal cancer, p16 immunostaining was also conducted.

Results: The rate of HPV-DNA detection in both oral rinse and tonsillar swab was significantly higher in OPC compared with non-OPC upper respiratory tract cancer and non-cancer diseases. HPV-DNA was detected in oral rinse in nine out of 12 p16-positive OPC cases, while none of the p16-negative OPC cases demonstrated detectable HPV-DNA. All p16-positive cases were also positive for HPV-DNA in tumor tissue. Based on p16 immunostaining, the sensitivity and specificity of HPV-DNA detection in oral rinse were 75% and 100%, respectively. Among eight of nine evaluable OPC cases positive for HPV-DNA in oral rinse at diagnosis, HPV-DNA was undetectable in oral rinse in seven cases after treatment.