Estudo comparativo da queratinização entre carcinomas espinocelulares de orofaringe HPV positivos e negativos

Abstract

In recent decades, the incidence of HPV-associated squamous cell carcinomas of the oropharynx has increased. These tumors differ in their molecular profile, clinical characteristics and response to treatment, being less keratinized and considered poorly differentiated, but with a better prognosis compared to HPV-negative tumors. The identification of HPV is fundamental to defining a therapeutic approach, and immunohistochemistry for p16 has been used as an alternative to more complex methods such as PCR and in situ hybridization. This study analyzed differences in keratinization between HPV-positive and HPVnegative squamous cell carcinomas of the oropharynx, looking for a pattern that would help with histopathological screening. Five cases from each group were evaluated, and the number, area and perimeter of keratin pearls were measured using ImageJ software and detailed analysis using SPSS 22. The results indicated that the number of keratin pearls was significantly lower in HPV-positive tumors, while the mean areas and perimeters were lower, but without statistical significance. Despite the limitations of the number of cases, the study suggests the need for further research to confirm whether HPV-positive tumors, even though they are well differentiated, produce fewer keratin pearls.