Deliverska Elitsa, Raykova Vessela, Yordanov Stanislav, Markov Daniel, Slavkov Svetoslav, Lenkov Viktor, Pashova-Tasseva Zdravka
Department of Dental, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Medical University of Sofia, 1431 Sofia, Bulgaria.
Department of Medical Microbiology, Medical Faculty, Medical University of Sofia, 1431 Sofia, Bulgaria.
Cancers (Basel). 2025 Sep 4;17(17):2907. doi: 10.3390/cancers17172907.
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (NHSCC) is a significant global health burden, with human papillomavirus (HPV) recognized as a major etiological factor in a growing proportion of cases. The interaction between HPV status, tumor characteristics, and other risk factors remains an important focus for both prevention and clinical management. This study aimed to investigate the association between HPV and OPSCC in a Bulgarian cohort, with emphasis on the influence of behavioral and clinical factors, as well as basic tumor features. Eighty-nine participants were enrolled, including 50 patients with histologically confirmed NHSCC and 39 healthy controls. Clinical examinations and histopathological verification were conducted for all cases. Brush smear and oral rinse samples were collected for HPV testing, in line with molecular detection protocols, specifically PCR-based assays for viral DNA. Demographic data, behavioral risk factors, and information on concomitant diseases were obtained and analyzed in relation to HPV status. Differences were identified between HPV-positive and HPV-negative NHSCC cases in relation to tumor characteristics, including clinical presentation and histological differentiation. Additional analyses demonstrated associations between certain behavioral factors, comorbidities, and the risk of NHSCC. This study provides data on HPV prevalence, related tumor features, and associated risk factors in OPSCC within a Bulgarian population. These findings highlight descriptive trends related to HPV status but indicate no robust statistical associations in this cohort.
头颈部鳞状细胞癌（HNSCC）是一项重大的全球健康负担，人乳头瘤病毒（HPV）在越来越多的病例中被认为是主要病因。HPV状态、肿瘤特征和其他风险因素之间的相互作用仍然是预防和临床管理的重要重点。本研究旨在调查保加利亚队列中HPV与口咽鳞状细胞癌（OPSCC）之间的关联，重点关注行为和临床因素以及肿瘤基本特征的影响。招募了89名参与者，包括50例经组织学确诊的HNSCC患者和39名健康对照。对所有病例进行了临床检查和组织病理学验证。根据分子检测方案，收集刷片和口腔冲洗样本进行HPV检测，特别是基于PCR的病毒DNA检测。获取并分析了人口统计学数据、行为风险因素以及伴随疾病信息，并与HPV状态相关联。在HPV阳性和HPV阴性HNSCC病例之间，在肿瘤特征方面存在差异，包括临床表现和组织学分化。进一步分析表明某些行为因素、合并症与HNSCC风险之间存在关联。本研究提供了保加利亚人群中OPSCC的HPV患病率、相关肿瘤特征和相关风险因素的数据。这些发现突出了与HPV状态相关的描述性趋势，但表明该队列中没有强有力的统计关联。
