Oncoviral Signatures in Head and Neck Cancers: From Serological Analysis to Subtype-Specific Genomic Detection

Objective: This study aimed to retrospectively investigate the prevalence of cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), human papillomavirus (HPV), and herpes simplex virus (HSV) in patients with head and neck cancer, in relation to age, sex, tumor type, and risk factors, at both molecular and serological levels. Materials and Methods: Data from 50 patients diagnosed histopathologically with head and neck cancer who were admitted to the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, between April 2023 and April 2024 were reviewed. At the time of diagnosis, venous blood and tumor biopsy tissue were collected from all cases. CMV, EBV, HPV, and HSV DNA were investigated in both blood and biopsy samples using quantitative real-time PCR. Serologically, IgM and IgG levels were measured using the CMIA method. The data were analyzed along with demographic and clinical parameters. Results: In blood samples, CMV and HSV DNA were not detected, while EBV DNA was found to be positive in 2% and HPV DNA in 4% of the cases. In biopsy tissues, CMV DNA was detected in 8%, EBV DNA in 10%, and HPV DNA in 6% of the samples; HSV DNA was also not detected in tissue samples. HPV DNA positivity showed a statistically significant variation according to tumor type and was more frequently detected in the subtypes of tongue SCC and retromolar SCC (p = 0.005). In serological evaluation, IgG positivity for CMV, EBV, and HSV-1 was above 90%, whereas IgM positivity for all viruses was low and not statistically significant. Conclusion: Among patients with head and neck cancer, the overall positivity rates for HPV, EBV, and CMV DNA were low, and HSV DNA was not detected. The higher prevalence of HPV in specific tumor subtypes suggests a selective role of this virus in head and neck cancers. These findings highlight that the viral etiology of head and neck cancers may vary depending on tumor subtype and individual factors, emphasizing the importance of regional epidemiological data.