Local and Regional Spread of Primary Conjunctival Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Epstein–Barr Virus, But Not Human Papillomavirus, Is Associated With Preinvasive and Invasive Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasias in Zambian Patients

Background

The etiopathogenesis of ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) is not fully understood. We assessed the frequency of oncogenic viruses in OSSN by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for human papillomavirus (HPV), Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV), Kaposi sarcoma virus, and adenovirus. Cases from Zambia were prospectively enrolled using a cross-sectional study design between November 2017 and March 2020.

Methods

Demographic and clinical data [age, sex, HIV status, antiretroviral therapy (ART) history, CD4 count, plasma viral load] and tumor biopsies were collected from 243 consenting patients. Tumor samples were bisected, and half was used for DNA isolation, while the other half was formalin fixed and paraffin embedded (FFPE) for histopathology analysis. The expressions of latent EBV nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1), CDKN2A/p16INK4A (p16), and MCPyV large T-antigen (LT) were tested by IHC. Multiplex PCR was used to detect 16 HPV genotypes and four other DNA tumor viruses [Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), EBV, MCPyV, and adenovirus]. Relationships between HIV status, viral DNA and protein expression, and tumor grades were determined by statistical analysis.

Results

OSSN tumors from patients were 29.6% preinvasive and 70.4% invasive. Patients presented with unilateral tumors that were 70.4% late stage (T3/T4). OSSN patients were HIV positive (72.8%). IHC on 243 FFPE biopsies resulted in the detection of EBNA1 (EBV), p16 high-risk HPV (HR-HPV), and MCPyV LT expression in 89.0%, 4.9%, and 0.0%, respectively. EBNA1 was expressed in all grades of preinvasive [cornea–conjunctiva intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)1, 100%; CIN2, 85.7%; CIN3, 95.8%; and carcinoma in situ (CIS), 83.8%] and in invasive (89.2%) OSSN. PCR on 178 samples detected EBV, HR-HPV, and MCPyV in 80.3%, 9.0%, and 13.5% of tumors, respectively. EBV was detected in all grades of preinvasive and invasive OSSN. EBV detection was associated with high HIV viral loads (p = 0.022). HR-HPV was detected in 0.0% CIN1, 0.0% CIN2, 5.6% CIN3, 13.0% CIS, and 7.0% invasive OSSN.

Conclusions

Our findings of EBV DNA and EBNA1 protein in all the grades of preinvasive and especially invasive OSSN are consistent with a potential causal role for EBV in OSSN. A role of HPV in OSSN was not clearly established in this study.

Conjunctival intraepithelial neoplasia and carcinoma: distinct clinical and histological features in relation to human papilloma virus status

AIMS

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is considered a causative agent for the development of a broad range of human carcinomas. The role of HPV in the development of conjunctival intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and carcinoma (cSCC) remains unclear. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the HPV prevalence in a nationwide cohort and to describe clinical and histopathological features in relation to HPV status.

METHODS

All cases of CIN and cSCC in Denmark from 1980 to 2016 were included. We combined p16 immunohistochemistry (IHC), RNA in situ hybridisation (RNA ISH) and HPV DNA PCR to detect HPV. The results were correlated to clinical and histopathological parameters.

RESULTS

One hundred twelve primary tumours and 33 recurrent tumours were included for HPV analysis. Twenty-four (21%) of the primary tumours were HPV positive by PCR. Eighteen of out 19 HPV-positive tumours were positive by RNA ISH. HPV16 was the most prevalent genotype (n=18, 75%). The patients with HPV-positive tumours were significantly younger (mean difference 11.5 years, 95% CI 5.2 to 17.9, p=0.0005) and had a higher recurrence compared with patients with HPV-negative tumours (HR 2.30, 95% CI 1.02 to 5.21, p=0.046). The HPV-positive tumours were associated with a positive p16 IHC and a non-keratinising morphology.

CONCLUSION

We describe distinct clinical and histopathological features associated with HPV status in cSCC. The finding of transcriptionally active HPV in this material lends support to a causal role of HPV in a subset of cSCC.

PD-L1/PD1 Expression, Composition of Tumor-Associated Immune Infiltrate, and HPV Status in Conjunctival Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Purpose

Conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), a type of ocular surface neoplasia, is primarily treated by surgical resection and topical immuno- or chemotherapy. Metastatic disease may be treated with systemic chemo- or immunotherapy, albeit with variable response. The purpose of this study was to determine whether immune checkpoint blockade might be considered in the management of conjunctival SCC.

Methods

In this retrospective study, we evaluated tumor programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) status, and immunohistochemical expression of cluster of differentiation 3 (CD3), cluster of differentiation 8 (CD8), and programmed death 1 (PD1) in tumor-associated immune infiltrate in a series of 31 conjunctival SCCs.

Results

PD-L1 expression in ≥1% of tumor cells was noted in 14 conjunctival SCCs (47%) and was more prevalent in invasive than in situ SCC and among tumors with higher American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) T category (≥T3 versus ≤T2). The density of CD3-positive T cells was higher in primary than recurrent tumors and higher in invasive than in situ tumors. Density of CD3-positive and CD8-positive T cells was higher in higher AJCC stage tumors. Density of CD8-positive T cells was higher in HPV-positive than HPV-negative tumors. PD-L1 expression correlated with a higher density of CD3-, CD8-, and PD1-positive cells in the tumor-associated immune infiltrate but not with HPV status.

Conclusions

Our findings demonstrate that PD-L1 is expressed in almost half of conjunctival SCCs. The density of tumor-associated immune cells correlated with invasive SCC, stage, and HPV status in conjunctival SCC. Our findings support further studies to establish the potential application of immune checkpoint blockade in the management of conjunctival SCC.

Chronic red eye: a masquerade of advanced neoplastic disease

A 42-year-old woman presented with chronic history of left red eye for more than 12 months, treated with difference topical medication but without response. Ocular external examination demonstrated a firm palpable mass in the medial portion of the lower eyelid and slit-lamp evaluation of the lesion showed an ulcerated conjunctival nodule, keratin secretor. CT of the orbits revealed left-sided orbital mass located anteriorly, inferiorly and medially in the orbit, adjacent to the globe and orbit walls. Incisional biopsy of the lesion was consistent with invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the conjunctiva. As the tumour had no response to initial adjuvant systemic chemotherapy, exenteration of left orbit was performed due to advanced disease.