Comparison of 2 line blot assays for defining HPV genotypes in oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas

Patients with invasive oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas infected with human papillomaviruses (HPV) demonstrate improved survival. HPV detection in tumors may assist in risk stratification of patients and in guiding optimum treatment. Two reverse line blot assays [Linear Array (LA) and INNO-LiPA (LiPA)] were evaluated for detection of HPV genotypes in paraffin-embedded biopsies. Overall, 82.4% of 131 biopsies were HPV+ by LiPA versus 61.1% by LA (κ = 0.32). Completely concordant results were observed in 52.7% of cases: 18 negative and 51 with exactly the same genotype(s). An additional 13 cases had partial agreement. These 82 completely or partially concordant cases revealed a high rate of HPV positivity (78.0%), primarily involving HPV16 (90.6%). HPV+ tumors occurred preferentially in the oropharynx, especially tonsils, with trends for male patients and poor differentiation. Significant differences in these associations were found when LA and LiPA results were analyzed independently. No relationships were found between tumor HPV status and tobacco or alcohol use.