Abstract

Background: Adapted from results in the field of cervical cancer, a direct connection between HPV infection and oropharyngeal carcinoma development could be established. Aim of this study was to evaluate p16 and TA-MUC1 in laryngeal cancer and their correlation to diagnostic, since TA-MUC1 is primarily restricted to malignancies. Methods: Paraffin-embedded laryngeal cancer specimens (n=129) and normal tissue (n=5) were analyzed for TA-MUC1 expression using hPankoMab-GEXTM antibody and evaluated according the immunoreactive score. Survival was assessed via log-rank test and Kaplan-Meier-survival analysis. Results: Significant correlation with tumor grading and staging was exhibited by TA-MUC1staining, while being negative in normal tissues. Expression of p16 significantly increased in T4 compared to T1 tumors. Significant differences in overall survival were found in correlation to TNM-classification, grading and relapse. TA-MUC1 showed a positive trend correlating to p16. Conclusion: Because of this positive trend, we suggest a HPV association in head and neck tumors. Most likely due to an insufficient quantity of HPV-positive patients, no statistical significance could be established. However, targeting TA-MUC1 would improve tumor therapy by linking hPankoMab-GEXTM to the overexpressed galectin. Systematic analysis of HPV-association should be performed generally in laryngeal cancer to gain further information about the interaction of HPV and malignancies.

Keywords: MUC-1; Laryngeal cancer; TA-MUC1; p16; Human papilloma virus (HPV); Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC); hPankoMab-GEXTM