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Human papillomavirus infection is an important etiological factor in squamous cell carcinoma of the anus (SCCA). Different histological variants of anal carcinomas displaying squamous differentiation, previously classified as separate tumours, were recently reclassified as SCCA by the WHO. In our recent study the presence of HPV was detected by PCR in biopsy specimens of 42 different anal tumours, including SCCA and its histological variants (n=22), adenocarcinomas (n=5), tubulovillous adenomas (n=5) and anal condylomas (n=10). HR HPV16 (high risk – HR) was detected in 18 of SCCA specimens (81.8%). All histological variants, i.e. tumours with basaloid, squamous and mixed histological patterns, were represented among the HPV-positive cancers. Four tumours (18.2%) were HPV negative. Low-risk (LR) HPV types were not detected within the SCCA group. HPV16 was identified in one adenocarcinoma, while four cases were HPV negative. Two adenomas showed presence of HPV16; one showed simultaneous positivity for HPV33. The remaining three tumours were HPV negative. Seven anal condylomas (70%) were LR HPV 6 and/or 11 positive, while three were HPV negative. The presence of HR HPV types was not observed in anal condylomas. Our results provide further evidence in support of the etiological role of HR HPV infection in the development of SCCA regardless of its histological appearance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Human papillomavirus high risk (HPV-HR) type 16 is a significant risk factor for head and neck cancers (HNC) independent of tobacco and alcohol. The purpose of this study was to determine whether antibody levels to the HPV-16 oncoproteins E6 and E7 measured in sera collected at baseline (BL) prior to treatment and at two post-treatment follow-up (FU) visits were associated with HNC risk factors or prognosis. Methods Presence of antibodies to HPV-16 E6 and E7 was evaluated in 109 newly diagnosed HNC cases with BL and FU blood samples, using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results HPV-16 E6 and/or E7 seropositive HNC cases were associated with higher risk in younger patients (≤ 55 years), more sexual partners (≥ 10), oropharyngeal cancer, worse stage at diagnosis, poorer grade, and nodal involvement. Between BL and FU (median = 8.3 months), there were decreased antibody levels for seropositive E6 (73% vs. 27%, p = 0.02) and seropositive E7 patients (65% vs. 35%, p = 0.09) with 5% of BL E6 and 35% of BL E7 seropositive patients converting to negative status at FU. Overall mortality (OM) was significantly worse among BL E6 seronegative patients than among BL seropositive patients (40.2% vs.13.6%, p = 0.01). There were no disease specific (DS) deaths among BL E6 seropositive vs. 24% in BL E6 seronegative patients (p = 0.01). BL E7 seronegative patients also had higher mortality than BL seropositive patients (OM: 38.2% vs. 20.0%, p = 0.04; DS: 22.5% vs. 5.6%, p = 0.07). Conclusion These findings are the first to follow post-treatment OD levels of HPV-16 E6 and E7 in HNC and suggest that these HPV antibodies may be potential prognostic markers of survival in HNC patients.