Introduction: Oral squamous cell carcinoma is a major cause of death throughout the developed world. It is associated with smoking and alcohol consumption. Human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 has also been suggested to play a role in etiology of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. p16 expression is now being used as a surrogate marker of HPV infection in squamous cell carcinoma and provides important prognostic information and future therapy planning.
Materials and Methods: In this observational cross-sectional study, total 60 cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma were taken. Tumor grade was determined according to WHO criteria. p16 expression was determined by immunohistochemical staining. The obtained results were analyzed and evaluated using Chi square test, P value of < 0.05 was taken significant.
Results: Out of 60 cases, 39 cases are positive for P16 out of which 19 cases show strong positivity.
Conclusion: As HPV integration with transcription of viral oncoprotein induces overexpression of p16, immunohistochemical expression of p16 can be used as a surrogate marker of HPV. This approach can be implemented in diagnostic laboratories and can provide support for vaccination program in high risk group.
How to cite this article:
Patle Goldy, Kudrimoti Jyoti, Nakate Leena. Assesment and clinicopathological correlation of P16 expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Int J Clin Diagn Pathol 2020;3(4):01-06. DOI: 10.33545/pathol.2020.v3.i4a.303
