Immunohistochemical Expression of Macrophages and EGFR in Relation to HPV-16 Infection in a Group of Iraqi Patients with OSCC

Background Oralsquamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the commonest malignant tumor of the oral cavity. The human papilloma virus (HPV) associated OSCC underlines the importance of the immune system for the pathogenesis of oral cancer. Macrophages are involved in various aspects of host defense mechanisms and pathophysiological conditions. Moreover, the role of growth factors-driven signaling in the pathogenesis of human cancer has been long established. Based on these facts it could be hypothesized that there may be anassociation between EGFR and macrophages with the HPV infection in OSCC patients. Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of EGFR and macrophages expressions on HPV 16 expression in Iraqi OSCC patients. Materials and Methods Sixteen Formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded (FFBE) tissue blocks were enrolled in this study. Serial sections were obtained from tissue blocks of OSCC biopsies. The expression of HPV16, EGFR and macrophageswas investigated immunohistochemically. Results The results revealedthat 7cases (43.75 %) showed positive brown cytoplasmic staining for macrophage, whilethe positivity rate of the EGFR immunostaining showed 13 cases (81.75 %) with positive brown membranous and/or cytoplasmic expression. Only two cases were HPV16 positive, There was a highly significant correlation between Macrophages and EGFR IHC expressions (p=0.006). ConclusionsThe results of this study suggestthat the high expression of EGFR and macrophages could increasethe malignancy of oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC). In addition the inverse correlation between HPV-16 expressionwith respect to the EGFR and Macrophage expressionscandidates themas promoting therapeutic targets to eliminate HPV infection. Further studies are recommended on larger population to support these findings.