Detection of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in Ameloblastoma Using the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)

Introduction: Ameloblastoma is a prevalent odontogenic maxillofacial tumor. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is considered to be one of the main risk factors for ameloblastoma. The current research aimed to investigate the presence of HPV in the ameloblastoma of jaw samples using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Materials and Methods: This study was conducted on 77 formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue blocks, which were obtained from the archives of the Department of Pathology at Mashhad Dentistry School and Ghaem Hospital in Mashhad, Iran. Deparaffinization and DNA extraction in the samples were performed in accordance with the instructions of the YTA genomic DNA extraction mini kit. After PCR, the presence of HPV was evaluated in the samples. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 16 using descriptive statistic (frequency distribution tables and charts), Chi-square, and logistic regression. Results: Among 77 lesions, 20 cases were follicular, four cases were acanthomatous, three cases were basal cells, eight cases were desmoblastic, 17 cases were unicystic, and 25 cases were plexiform. Moreover, five samples (6.5) were positive for HPV. HPV was detected in one follicular case, two unicystic cases, and two plexiform cases. Conclusion: Considering the low prevalence of HPV in the examined lesions, it could not be concluded that the virus was involved in the etiology and pathogenesis of the lesions. Therefore, further investigations must be conducted on larger sample sizes for more accurate results.