Human papillomavirus infection and its association with lung cancer: a case-control study (2011–2019)

Zanyar Shakeri; Manoochehr Makvandi; Habibollah Mirzaei; Malek Kanani; Shahram Jalilian

doi:10.18502/ijm.v17i6.20372

Zanyar Shakeri Cancer Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
Manoochehr Makvandi Cancer Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
Habibollah Mirzaei Cancer Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
Malek Kanani Department of Pathology, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
Shahram Jalilian Cancer Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijm.v17i6.20372

Keywords: Human papillomaviruses; Lung neoplasms; Polymerase chain reaction; Tissues; Iran

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes about 4.5% of all new human cancers. The purpose of

this study was to look into the prevalence of various HPV types in patients with lung cancer.

Materials and Methods: The study included a cohort of 61 individuals who had received treatment at Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ahvaz between 2011 and 2019. Paraffin-embedded tissues were used for molecular analysis. The primary goal was to assess the differences in HPV prevalence between lung cancer patients and a control group, using a Nested PCR assay followed by sequencing.

Results: Among the lung cancer patients, HPV DNA was detected in 10 individuals, while three individuals in the control group were also positive (16.3% versus 12.0%, P=0.65). Notably, every detected HPV variant was classified as the high-risk type 16. Additionally, the researchers investigated potential associations between age, sex, smoking habits, and lung cancer in both HPV-positive and negative patients. The study findings revealed that age, sex, and smoking habits did not show sta- tistically significant associations with the presence of HPV (P>0.05). Moreover, Lung cancer incidence was not significantly correlated with HPV infection (P>0.05).

Conclusion: Therefore, according to the study's findings, smoking, HPV infection, and lung cancer prevalence were not significantly correlated in the population under investigation.