High-risk human papillomavirus detection in oropharyngeal cancers: Comparison of saliva sampling methods

Background: Accumulating evidence has suggested the utility of salivary oral rinse as a diagnostic fluid to detect oral human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA, but there are many methods for collecting saliva. Methods: Salivary oral rinse and unstimulated whole mouth saliva samples were collected from 45 oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) patients. Results: We show a positive correlation of HPV-16 E2 (r = 0.95, P < 0.0001) and E6/7 (r = 0.93, P < 0.0001) relative copy number as well as HPV genotypes in both sample methods. There was a significant correlation between the two sample methods in the ratio of HPV16 E2 to E6/7 DNA (r = 0.46, P < 0.01). Consistent with previous studies, a mixed HPV-16 form (episomal and integrated) was commonly found in both saliva and tumor samples. Conclusion: Detection of HPV in saliva samples collected by either method yielded comparable results, and showed good sensitivity for detection of HPV derived from OPC.