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Early esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in a western series is not associated with active HPV infection

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Abstract

Few data are available concerning human papillomavirus (HPV) in early esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in Western population. Our study intended to determine the prevalence of HPV infection and the histological characteristics in such early tumors. A monocentric and retrospective study was conducted including 86 patients with early ESCC treated by endoscopic resection or esophagectomy, from 2012 to 2018. Histopathological prognostic criteria were evaluated. Immunohistochemistry for p16 and p53 and an HPV mRNA in situ hybridization were performed. The tumors were composed of 25 (29%) in situ carcinomas, 21 (24%) intramucosal carcinomas, and 40 (47%) submucosal carcinomas, of which 34 had a deep infiltration (> 200 μm). Emboli, present in 12 cases, were associated with deep infiltration. P16-positive ESCC accounted for 21% of the patients. It was not correlated with active HPV infection as no cases were found to be positive in RISH analysis for RNA detection of this virus. However, there was a correlation between p16 expression and alcohol or tobacco consumption. The only histopathological criterion correlated with p16 positivity was marked inflammatory infiltrate. Local or distant neoplastic recurrence occurred in 25% of patients. Overall survival was 95.8% and local or metastatic recurrence-free survival was 75%. There was a correlation between positive resection margins and tumor recurrence. In contrast to oropharynx carcinoma, our study showed that ESCC were not associated with an active HPV infection, highlighting the negligible role of this virus in early ESCC carcinogenesis in the Western world.

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Abbreviations

HPV:

Human papillomavirus

ESCC:

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

HNSCC:

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

RISH:

HPV mRNA in situ hybridization

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris Centre, Hôpital Cochin, Université de Paris, Paris, France

    Christina Kanaan, Anne Audebourg & Benoît Terris

  2. Department of Gastroenterology, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris Centre, Hôpital Cochin, Université de Paris, Paris, France

    Diane Lorenzo, Maximilien Barret, Sarah Leblanc, Stanislas Chaussade & Frédéric Prat

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  1. Christina Kanaan
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Contributions

Conception and design of the study, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data: Christina Kanaan, Diane Lorenzo, Maximilien Barret, Anne Audebourg, Sarah Leblanc, Stanislas Chaussade, Frédéric Prat, Benoît Terris.

Drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content: Christina Kanaan, Diane Lorenzo, Maximilien Barret, Anne Audebourg, Sarah Leblanc, Stanislas Chaussade, Frédéric Prat, Benoît Terris.

Final approval of the version to be submitted: Christina Kanaan, Diane Lorenzo, Maximilien Barret, Anne Audebourg, Sarah Leblanc, Stanislas Chaussade, Frédéric Prat, Benoît Terris.

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Correspondence to Christina Kanaan.

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Kanaan, C., Lorenzo, D., Barret, M. et al. Early esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in a western series is not associated with active HPV infection. Virchows Arch 477, 697–704 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-020-02860-2

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