Abstract:
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is classified as a malignant neoplasm and is endemic to the Far
East Asia. Oncogenic viruses such as Epstein Barr virus (EBV) and Human papillomavirus (HPV) are
known to contribute to the pathogenesis of NPC tumours, with the former being well establish to have
a strong association with the cancer. Little is known about the association of HPV, as well as the
correlation of cytopathic effect induced by this virus and its presence in NPC tissue samples. The aim
of this study was
was to compare the histopathological features (Koilocytosis) with PCR method to
predict the presence of HPV infection in formalin-fixed-paraffin-
formalin
-embedded tissue (FFPET) samples
of NPCs. Seventy-two
Seventy two archival (72) NPC tissues samples from the year 2006 to 2012 were retrieved
from Pathology Department of University of Ghana School of Biomedical and Allied Health sciences.
Sections were taken for histopathological analysis and DNA extraction. Detection of koilocytes was
done using light microscopy where tissue samples
samples were regrouped into WHO type I, II and III
respectively. Consensus HPV forward primer (GP-E6-3F)
(GP
3F) and two consensus reverse primers (GP
(GP-
E7-5B
5B and GP-E7-6B)
GP
6B) were used in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis to determine the
presence of HPV DNAs in
in the study sample. Out of the 72 archival NPC biopsies analysed,
koilocytes were detected in 22 (30.6%) during microscopy and HPV DNA was detected in 14
(19.4%) during PCR analysis. Ten (10) samples out of the 22 with koilocytes were found to be HPV
positive.
ive. There was a weak correlation (C= 0.436), though data analysis using Fisher’s exact
probability test was statistically significant (p<0.05). There was a significant level of association
between koilocytes and HPV, and thus, the presence of koilocytes in NPC tissues samples can serve
as an indicator for the possible presence of HPV in NPC tissue samples.
