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ABSTRACT
Background
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is associated with several cancers, including oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). P16INK4a is a prognostic marker for most tumours, and it has been described as a surrogate marker for high-risk HPV-associated squamous cell carcinoma. The association between HPV infection and OSCC development has significant implications for understanding the disease's pathogenesis, therapy, and prognosis. Looking at HPV and P16INK4 through immunohistochemistry helps us understand how OSCC develops and can inform how we treat and manage patients.
Method
A retrospective, cross-sectional approach was used; the study included cases diagnosed between January 2016 and December 2021. The data for the study was obtained from the laboratory information system of the National Health Laboratory Services. The formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples were retrieved, sectioned, and stained for immunohistochemical analysis. The demographic, clinicopathological, and immunohistochemistry data were captured in Microsoft Excel and analysed using STATA v18.
Result
Oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma cases were stained for HPV and P16INK4a antibodies. The mean age was 62.3±11.2 years, and 55.4% (62/112) were females. The HPV positivity was 32.1%, with the strong staining intensity observed in 27% of cases, and P16INK4a positivity was 62.5% (70/112), with strong staining intensity observed in 60.7% of cases. The overall P16INK4a positivity in HPV-positive OSCC lesions was 86.1% (31/36), and 48.6% (34/70) were P16INK4a+/HPV-. A statistically significant relationship was demonstrated between HPV and P16 INK4a stains, and the p-value was p < 0.001.
Conclusion
The study reported a higher P16INK4a in HPV-positive OSCC samples. These results show the important link between HPV and p16INK4a in OSCC and suggest that p16INK4a can be used as a surrogate marker for HPV-associated OSCC cancers. These results emphasise the prognostic significance of p16INK4a in HPV-associated OSCC.