Fedora Della Vella1, Dorina Lauritano2, Giuseppe Pannone3, Raffaele Del Prete1, Dario Di Stasio4, Maria Contaldo4, Massimo Petruzzi1. 1. Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy. 2. Department of Medicine and Surgery, Centre of Neuroscience Milan, University of Milan-Bicocca, Monza, Italy. 3. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy. 4. Multidisciplinary Department of Medical-Surgical and Odontostomatological Specialties, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) role in oral potentially malignant lesions remains unclear. Aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of HPV infection in a cohort of patients affected by oral lichen planus, to analyze the genotypes involved, and to compare the performance of two specimen collection methods: brushing and biopsy. METHODS: Consecutive patients with oral lichen planus were enrolled. Each patient's clinical and anamnestic data were recorded before he/she underwent brushing and biopsy procedures. The collected samples were analyzed using RT-PCR. Prevalence of HPV infection was evaluated considering cytobrush and biopsy outcomes alone and combined. Correlation between HPV presence and sex, age, smoke, alcohol, kind of lichen planus, Hepatitis C virus, and involved mucosae was analyzed using chi-square test (significance at P < .05). Cohen's k coefficient was employed to compare brushing and biopsy. RESULTS: Fifty-two patients affected by oral lichen planus were enrolled. Total HPV prevalence was 17%, when considering only the biopsy and the cytobrush the prevalence was 15% and 6%, respectively. None of the considered variables showed significant correlation with HPV (P > .05). The concordance between the two methods was "fair" (k = .305). CONCLUSIONS: The biopsy appears more reliable than cytobrush to detect HPV in course of oral lichen planus. No statistical correlation emerged with the analyzed variables. The most frequently detected genotypes were HPV 6 and 11, while only two cases presented with HPV 16 and 53, known as human oncogenic.
BACKGROUND:Human Papillomavirus (HPV) role in oral potentially malignant lesions remains unclear. Aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of HPV infection in a cohort of patients affected by oral lichen planus, to analyze the genotypes involved, and to compare the performance of two specimen collection methods: brushing and biopsy. METHODS: Consecutive patients with oral lichen planus were enrolled. Each patient's clinical and anamnestic data were recorded before he/she underwent brushing and biopsy procedures. The collected samples were analyzed using RT-PCR. Prevalence of HPV infection was evaluated considering cytobrush and biopsy outcomes alone and combined. Correlation between HPV presence and sex, age, smoke, alcohol, kind of lichen planus, Hepatitis C virus, and involved mucosae was analyzed using chi-square test (significance at P < .05). Cohen's k coefficient was employed to compare brushing and biopsy. RESULTS: Fifty-two patients affected by oral lichen planus were enrolled. Total HPV prevalence was 17%, when considering only the biopsy and the cytobrush the prevalence was 15% and 6%, respectively. None of the considered variables showed significant correlation with HPV (P > .05). The concordance between the two methods was "fair" (k = .305). CONCLUSIONS: The biopsy appears more reliable than cytobrush to detect HPV in course of oral lichen planus. No statistical correlation emerged with the analyzed variables. The most frequently detected genotypes were HPV 6 and 11, while only two cases presented with HPV 16 and 53, known as human oncogenic.