Analysis of HPV and NKG2D rs1049174 Polymorphism in Vietnamese Patients With Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

IntroductionOropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OPSCC) etiology involves environmental and genetic factors, with Human Papillomavirus (HPV) being a key ecological driver. This study evaluated the relative importance of environmental factors, particularly HPV status, and the genetic polymorphism NKG2D rs1049174 in OPSCC among a Vietnamese population.MethodsA retrospective case-control study was conducted with 279 OPSCC patients and 250 healthy controls. HPV DNA was screened and typed using PCR and Sanger sequencing. Genotyping of NKG2D rs1049174 was performed using TaqMan assays. Logistic regression, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, Cox proportional hazards regression, and Random Forest analysis were employed to assess associations between risk factors, genotype, clinical stage, survival, and HPV status.ResultsHPV status strongly predicted overall survival (OS), with HPV-positive patients exhibiting significantly longer survival (adjusted Hazard Ratio (aHR) = 0.32, <i>P</i> < 0.001). Univariate Kaplan-Meier analysis further suggested differential survival among specific HPV types, with HPV16 infection trending toward prolonging OS. In predicting advanced-stage OPSCC, Random Forest analysis identified HPV status as the most critical predictor (Mean Decrease Accuracy = 5.47). Males constituted the vast majority of OPSCC patients in both HPV-negative (97.4%) and HPV-positive (84.6%) subgroups. A statistically significant difference in alcohol consumption patterns was also observed between HPV-positive and HPV-negative patients. Furthermore, the NKG2D rs1049174 polymorphism was significantly associated with OPSCC risk, though not with advanced-stage disease or OS.ConclusionHPV infection plays a critical role in OPSCC in this Vietnamese cohort, influencing patient characteristics, clinical presentation, and survival outcomes. The NKG2D rs1049174 polymorphism was identified as a significant factor in OPSCC risk; however, it did not appear to be a significant factor in disease progression or survival in this population. Further research is needed to explore the complex interplay of environmental and genetic factors in OPSCC etiology in Vietnam.