No detectable BK polyomavirus or JC polyomavirus DNA in FFPE specimens from patients with advanced laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract Human polyomaviruses (HPyVs) exhibit oncogenic potential, and Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) is an established cause of Merkel cell carcinoma. While BK and JC polyomaviruses possess oncogenic properties, their etiological contribution to head and neck squamous cell carcinomas, specifically laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) remains highly controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the presence of BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) and JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) in advanced LSCC to clarify their potential role. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor specimens were obtained retrospectively from 35 patients with advanced (pT3–pT4a) LSCC treated with total laryngectomy. BKPyV and JCPyV DNA was investigated by real-time PCR, with co-amplification of the human β-globin gene as an internal control for DNA amplifiability and PCR inhibition. Amplifiable genomic DNA was confirmed in all 35 samples. No JCPyV or BKPyV DNA was detected in any specimen (0/35 for each virus; 95% CI 0–10.0%). The absence of detectable JCPyV and BKPyV genomes in the examined specimens does not support a frequent or persistent presence of BKPyV and JCPyV in advanced LSCC. However, we cannot definitively exclude transient early-stage viral involvement, low-level infection or varying prevalence in different populations.