Prevalence of high risk HPV DNA in esophagus is high in Brazil but not related to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Background. The first publication that associated Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection and esophageal cancer was published in 1982. However, data are still contradictory and require further investigation. The aim of this study was to identify high risk HPV DNA in esophageal tissue of patients with and without esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and correlate HPV presence with classical risk factors. Methods. Invited patients signed the informed consent form, and interviews were conducted in order to obtain information about sociodemographic and lifestyle behavior. During endoscopy, esophageal biopsies were collected from case and controls. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction genotyping was conducted on endoscopic biopsies to identify HPV types and HPV-16 was further evaluated by specific PCR real time. Results. Among 87 cases, 12 (13.8%) had tumors harboring high risk HPV DNA and among 87 controls, 12 (13.8%) had high risk HPV DNA (OR: 1.025 [CI: 0.405: 2.592]). Variables regarding consumption of alcohol and use of tobacco continued to characterize risk factors even after adjustments by presence or absence of high risk HPV. Conclusion. HPV was demonstrated to be frequently and similarly associated to normal and malignant esophageal tissues, but not as an independent risk factor to esophageal cancer. Impact. To contribute to the Brazilian population data on this subject, which is still contradictory.