High incidence of HPV infection in minors with oral squamous cell carcinoma - Research study

Q: What study aims to investigate about HPV and OSCC in minors?

The study explores the correlation between HPV infection and the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma in minors, and further characterizes OSCC in young patients.

Q: How were high-risk HPV infections detected in the selected cases?

High-risk HPV mRNA infection was tested using the RNA scope technique in all enrolled OSCC cases.

Q: Which immunohistochemical marker is proposed as useful for HPV positivity in minors?

The study concludes that p16 can serve as an immunohistochemical marker of HPV positivity in minors with OSCC.

Sep 21, 2026

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Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in minors represents a distinct clinical entity from OSCC in older patients, with an uncertain cause. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection may initiate and accelerate OSCC, yet its role remains unclear. Objective: To clarify the association between high-risk HPV infection and OSCC development in minors and to characterize OSCC in young patients. Methods: Six cases aged <15 years were evaluated using RNA scope for high-risk HPV mRNA and immunohistochemistry for p16 and additional markers, with a literature review of OSCC patients <21 years.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background

Method

Case selection and HPV testing

Immunohistochemical markers

Literature review

Conclusions

Keywords

Wu et al. Diagnostic Pathology (2024) 19:51 [https://doi.org/10.1186/s13000-024-01470-9](https://doi.org/10.1186/s13000-024-01470-9) Diagnostic Pathology RESEARCH Open Access High incidence of HPV infection in minors with oral squamous cell carcinoma Ningxiang Wu3,7,8, Yonghui Li4, Xiaokun Ma5, Zhen Huang6, Zhuoxuan Chen3,7,8, Weihua Chen3,7,8 and Ran Zhang1,2* Abstract Background Oral squamous cell carcinoma in minors is considered to be a distinct entity from OSCC in older patients, with an uncertain etiology. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection may trigger the initiation and promote the progression of OSCC, but these roles have not been firmly established.We aimed to explore the correlation between HPV infection and the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma in minors and know the characteristics of OSCC in young patients more thoroughly. Method From January 2013 to December 2022,6 cases ofOSCC aged < 15 years were selected from the Department of Oral Pathology, Peking University School of Stomatology, Beijing, China. All cases underwent testing for high-risk HPV mRNA infection using the RNA scope technique, and immunohistochemical staining was performed to investigate the expression of p16, pan-cytokeratin (CK), CK5/6, CK7, CK8/18, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), p53, and Ki-67 . Furthermore, we reviewed the literature on OSCC in patients aged < 21 years. Conclusions Minors OSCC is associated with HPV infection, and that p16 can serve as an immunohistochemical marker of HPV positivity. Keywords Oral squamous cell carcinoma, Minors, HPV infection, Fluorescence in-situ hybridization *Correspondence: Ran Zhang [rani@bjmu.edu.cn](rani@bjmu.edu.cn) 1 Department of Oral Pathology, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, 22 South Zhongguancun Avenue, Haidian District, Beijing 100081, China 2 Research Unit of Precision Pathologic Diagnosis in Tumors ofthe Oral and Maxillofacial Regions, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China 3 The Affiliated Stomatological Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China 4 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, China 5 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou Stomatological Hospital, Suzhou, China 6 College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, China 7 Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine, Nanchang, China 8 Jiangxi Province Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Nanchang, China Introduction Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a malignant tumor of epithelial origin typically found in the oral cavity that displays varying levels of squamous differentiation, as evidenced by the formation of keratinized beads and intercellular bridges. This type of cancer is most common in middle-aged and elderly individuals, less prevalent in those aged ≤40 years, and exceedingly rare in those aged < 15 years [1–3]. OSCC is generally linked to tobacco and alcohol consumption, and these risk factors are not commonly present in minors. Thus, OSCC in minors is considered to be a distinct entity from OSCC in older patients, with an uncertain etiology. Moreover, human papillomavirus (HPV) infection may trigger the initiation and promote the progression of OSCC, but these roles have not been firmly established. The treatment of OSCC typically involves a comprehensive approach, with surgical removal followed by © The Author(s) 2024. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in th

FAQs

What study aims to investigate about HPV and OSCC in minors?

The study explores the correlation between HPV infection and the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma in minors, and further characterizes OSCC in young patients.

How were high-risk HPV infections detected in the selected cases?

High-risk HPV mRNA infection was tested using the RNA scope technique in all enrolled OSCC cases.

Which immunohistochemical marker is proposed as useful for HPV positivity in minors?

The study concludes that p16 can serve as an immunohistochemical marker of HPV positivity in minors with OSCC.

Sep 21, 2026

Upload by Finn