Detection of Human Papilloma Virus in Patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma – A Polymerase Chain Reaction Study

Context: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) constitutes to majority of oral malignancies, with established etiological links to tobacco use and alcohol consumption. In recent years, human papillomavirus (HPV), especially HPV-16 and HPV-18, has emerged as a potential contributory factor in the pathogenesis of OSCC. Aim: This study aimed to detect HPV types 16 and 18 in OSCC patients using the real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and to evaluate the correlation between the presence of HPV and clinical staging, histopathological grading, and tobacco usage. Materials and Methods: A total of 40 individuals were enrolled in the study which comprised of 30 histopathologically confirmed OSCC patients (Group A) and 10 healthy age- and gender-matched controls (Group B). Oral brush biopsy samples were collected and analyzed using TaqMan-based RT-PCR targeting 14 HPV genotypes. Statistical analyses were performed to assess the correlations with clinical and demographic parameters. Results: HPV-16 was detected in 13.3% (4/30) of OSCC patients, while all control samples were negative for both HPV-16 and HPV-18. HPV-16 positivity was significantly associated with Stage II–III OSCC ( P = 0.014) and tobacco smoking ( P = 0.007), with 67% of HPV-positive patients reporting smoked tobacco use. Although HPV-16 was more frequent in moderately and poorly differentiated tumors, this association was not statistically significant ( P = 0.195). HPV-18 was not detected in any sample. Conclusion: The findings suggest that HPV-16 may act as a co-factor in OSCC, especially in older male smokers with advanced disease, highlighting the need for larger multicentric studies to clarify its etiological and prognostic role.