[Combined detection of p16 and Rb with high-risk human papilloma virus infection in non-oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck].

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the correlation of combined detection of p16 and Rb with high-risk human papilloma virus (HR-HPV) infection in non-oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (NOPSCC) of the head and neck. Methods: A total of 68 NOPSCC cases of the head and neck (23 cases of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses and 45 cases of larynx) with complete clinical and pathological data, diagnosed at the Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China from November 2013 to December 2023, were collected. The expression of p16 and Rb was detected using immunohistochemistry of the EnVision two-step method, while the HR-HPV mRNA expression was detected using in situ hybridization. The concordance, sensitivity, and specificity of p16 alone and the combined detection of p16 and Rb for detecting HR-HPV infection were analyzed. Results: Among the 68 patients with NOPSCC, 53 were male and 15 were female, with a median age of 63.5 (range, 57.3 to 66.8) years. 41 patients had a smoking history and 27 did not. 33 patients had an early T stage (T1/T2) and 35 had advanced T stage (T3/T4). 14 patients had lymph node metastasis and 2 had distant metastasis. Histological types included 62 cases of keratinized squamous cell carcinoma, 5 cases of non-keratinized squamous cell carcinoma, and 1 case of basal-like squamous cell carcinoma. 25 cases were positive for p16. Among the 25 cases, 16 cases were positive for Rb, and 6 cases were positive for HR-HPV mRNA. 43 cases were negative for p16, including 38 cases positive for Rb and no cases positive for HR-HPV mRNA. The concordance between p16 and HR-HPV mRNA expression was poor (Kappa=0.285, P=0.001), with a sensitivity of 100.0% and specificity of 69.4%. In contrast, the combined detection of p16+/Rb- showed high concordance with HR-HPV mRNA expression (Kappa=0.719, P<0.001), with a sensitivity of 100.0% and specificity of 95.2%. Conclusions: In NOPSCC of the head and neck, the combined detection of p16 and Rb may be used as a marker for assessing HR-HPV infection. Recognizing the p16+/Rb- expression pattern in NOPSCC can improve the specificity of HR-HPV detection.