Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are the cause of cervical cancer and possibly a subset of squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) in other sites. However, the prevalence and distribution of HPV subtypes remain unclear. In the present study, we collected and analyzed 511 paraffin sections of non-cervical SCC from patients in Qingdao, China, for the presence of HPV using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We identified that 55.77% (285/511) of the samples were positive for HPV infection. There was a significant association between HPV type and the different sites of SCC. An association between HPV-positive cases and tobacco, alcohol, age and tumor differentiation was demonstrated. The information provided by this study may be important for further investigation into the association between HPV and SCC. High-risk HPV subtypes were associated with the malignant degree of SCC. This study provided a theoretical basis for the preventative treatment of non-cervical SCC using HPV vaccines.
Keywords: human papillomavirus genotype; polymerase chain reaction; squamous cell carcinomas.