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Abstract

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs)Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are small doublestranded DNA viruses that comprise a heterogeneous family consisting of more than 130 different HPV types [1]. Different HPV types have been detected in the anogenital tract, urethra, skin, larynx, tracheobronchial and oral mucosa and can cause a wide range of infections, including common warts, genital warts, recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, low-grade and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs), anal cancer, vaginal cancer and cervical cancer. Based on their association with cervical cancer, HPV types are classified as high-risk 18, 31, 33, 35,39,45,51,52,56,58,59,68, 30, 34,53,66,67,69,70,73,82,85) [2]. Evidence of the potential role of HPV in other tumor types has been shown, as well [3][4][5][6][7][8]. High-risk HPV types contribute significantly to viral associated neoplasms, accounting for approximately 600,000 cases (5%) of cancers worldwide annually [9]. In particular, HPV-16 accounts for approximately 50% of cervical carcinomas and more than 90% of HPV(+) carcinomas of the oropharynx (and the other ano-genital sites). Low-risk HPVs have been associated with benign warts of oral and urogenital epithelium in adults as well as children and they are only rarely found in malignant