Cell cycle and viral and immunologic profiles of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma as predictable variables of tumor progression

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine whether the aberrant expression of cell-cycle or immune-response markers together with human papillomavirus (HPV) positivity impacts patient survival in different head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) subsets. METHODS: A total of 59 HNSCC specimens were analyzed for expression of cell cycle and proliferation markers, and macrophage infiltration. HPV was evaluated by polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing. RESULTS: The HPV presence in oropharynx carcinoma was associated with survival advantage. Low Ki67 expression was associated with favorable outcome in oropharynx and oral cavity carcinoma. A more favorable outcome was associated with low cyclin E expression in larynx carcinoma and with low p53 expression in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral cavity. A direct correlation between macrophage infiltration and tumor proliferation index was observed irrespective of the tumor subset. CONCLUSIONS: The assessment of proliferation, viral, and immunologic profiles may be crucial to finding beneficial treatments for the different HNSCC subsets.