Laryngeal Carcinoma Associated With Human Papilloma Virus: Place of “P16” Immunomarking as a Real Alternative to Virological Analysis

Dzon O, Ngouoni GC, Ondzotto GW, Tsierie-Tsoba A, Itiéré-OdziliF A, Ondzotto G and Moukassa D

Published on: 2023-11-20

Abstract

Summary

Introduction: Many HPV-related cell signaling pathways appear to be poorly elucidated in laryngeal carcinogenesis. The objective of this work was to study the expression of the P16 gene by immunostaining in laryngeal carcinomas in order to judge its necessity in place of a virological analysis of oncogenic HPV infection.

Material and methods: this was a 10-year descriptive and transversal study carried out at the molecular pathology laboratory of the Faculty of Health Sciences in Brazzaville. The study material consisted mainly of biopsies of laryngeal carcinomas with histological proof. The samples excluded were those which had architectural modifications which did not allow immunological marking with anti-P16 monoclonal antibodies.

Results: squamous cell carcinomas of the larynx represented 35% of ENT and head and neck cancers with a ratio of 6 in favor of men. In all cases, these were squamous cell carcinomas for which immunohistochemistry of the P16 gene had made it possible to identify two molecular profiles, namely: P16+ laryngeal carcinomas (33.3%) and P16 ? laryngeal carcinomas (66.7 %). Virologically, the molecular prevalence of HPV was approximately 33.3%, representing HPV-positive laryngeal carcinomas and correlated with overexpression of the P16 gene (p=0.004). However, HPV-negative laryngeal carcinomas did not express the P16 gene on immunostaining and remain linked to other risk factors.

Conclusion: overexpression of the P16 gene is a mutation which would be linked to persistent infection with oncogenic HPV on a squamous mucosa. The P16 gene thus becomes a diagnostic biomarker for HPV-positive laryngeal carcinomas, replacing virological analysis.