CORRELATION OF MITOTIC ABNORMALITIES AND THE PRESENCE OF HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS ANTIGENS IN SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMAS OF THE ORAL CAVITY

To determine the association of human papillomavirus (HPV) with oral c ancer lesions containing abnormal mitoses, we analysed 54 of them by i mmmnohistochemical techniques for the presence of HPV structural antig ens and correlated the results with their histology. Sixteen out of 19 lesions with abnormal mitotic figures (MFs) and 15 of the 25 lesions with normal MFs contained the HPV antigen. However, 9 of the 11 koiloc ytotic lesions with abnormal MFs and 13 of the 17 lesions with normal MFs were HPV antigen-positive. The nature of mitosis was not influence d by the grades of koilocytosis. No correlation of HPV antigen positiv ity and severity of the oral carcinomas was observed.