Study of prevalence of HPV virus in squamous cell carcinoma of the amygdala in the Brazilian population and its clinicopathological features

Abstract

Over the last two decades there has been evidence of the etiologic role of HPV (human papiloma virus) in a group of HNSCC (head and neck squamous cell carcinoma), which presents their own epidemiological, clinical and prognostic features. There is a preferential association between HPV-DNA with tonsil carcinoma, which is the second most common malignant tumor in the upper respiratory tract. The HPV virus prevalence in HNSCCs is variable between different regions of the world. Studies in the Brazilian population that investigate the HPV prevalence in HNSCCs need to be conducted in order to characterize the population and collaborate with the global indexes of epidemiology. The purpose of this study is to determine the HPV prevalence in tonsil squamous cell carcinomas of patients in the Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da UNICAMP, evaluating the HPV positive tumors relation with demographic, clinical, histopathologic and prognostic features. The HPV presence will be proved initially by immunohistochemistry reaction with a p16 marker. The positive cases will be investigated for the presence of viral DNA trough in situ hybridization with wide-spectrum. For the double positives, a new in situ hybridization with a HPV type 16/18 probe will be executed. Reaction with p53 antibody will be made in all cases aiming to complement the findings. A better understanding of HNSCCs associated with HPV will be obtained, beside epidemiologic dates of incidence will be achieved.