CORRELATION BETWEEN HPV TYPES ASSOCIATED WITH ORAL SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMA AND CERVICOVAGINAL CYTOLOGY - AN IN-SITU HYBRIDIZATION STUDY

Epidemiologic and clinical evidence suggests a possible relationship b etween the human papillomavirus types found in oral squamous cell carc inoma and cervicovaginal cancer. To try to address this question, we a nalyzed by in situ hybridization 50 paraffin-embedded biopsies of oral squamous cell carcinomas and their corresponding Papanicolaou smears using nonradioactive DNA probes for human papillomavirus types 6/11 an d 16/18. This analysis revealed that 70% (35 of 50) of oral squamous c ell carcinomas and 56% (28 of 50) of Papanicolaou smears were positive for one or both of these human papillomavirus DNA probes. In 23 of th e 28 patients who were positive for human papillomavirus sequences in the cervicovaginal tract, we found the same human papillomavirus type in the oral cavity. Five of the positive in situ hybridization Papanic olaou smears were associated with negative in situ hybridization oral squamous cell carcinomas. Our data suggest that after a primary infect ion by human papillomavirus, other mucosal sites may eventually become infected. Local environmental factors may contribute to the pathogene sis of lesions such as oral squamous cell carcinoma.