Human papillomavirus genotypes and HPV-16 variants distribution among Tunisian women with normal cytology and squamous intraepithelial lesions

The E6 gene polymorphism of Human papillomavirus 16 in relation to the risk of cervical cancer in Tunisian women

Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) is the most prevalent HPV type worldwide and in Tunisia and the major carcinogenic HPV type found in cervical precancers and cancers. Previous studies have reported that genetic diversity of HPV16-E6 oncoprotein might be associated with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia progression. In this study we aimed to investigate the prevalence of HPV-16 E6 variants in precancerous lesions in Tunisian population to assess potential correlation with disease severity. Positive HPV cervical samples were obtained from the Laboratory of Anatomy Pathology of Pasteur Institute of Tunis. Cytological study was performed to identify cervical precancerous lesions. HPVs were typed using Reverse Line Hybridization. Only samples with HPV-16 single infection were selected for HP16-E6 genetic diversity investigation. HPV-16 E6 gene amplification was performed by PCR using specific primers and sequenced by Sanger Sequencing. The multiple alignment of generated sequences was performed using MEGAX software. Phylogenetic tree was constructed using Maximum Likehood method. The ternary complex of E6, E6AP and p53 core domain was used to perform in silico point mutations and thermodynamic calculations to assess stability and binding affinity. Genetic analysis of Tunisian E6-HPV16 sequences showed the presence of three lineages: European (A), African (C) and Asian American (D). Interestingly, the EUR variants were identified as the dominant lineage of HPV-16 and HPV-16 E6 350 G (L83V) was the most detected mutation in precancerous lesions. Modelling data showed that African variants induced the largest destabilizing effect on E6 structure and decreasing thereby in the affinity toward E6AP. Therefore, women infected with European variants are associated with low and high intraepithelial lesions. The findings give useful information for personalized decision algorithms of intra-epithelial cervical neoplasia in Tunisian women.

Arginase is upregulated in healthy women infected by oncogenic HPV types

INTRODUCTION

The implication of arginase enzyme in Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infections has not been clearly elucidated. The present study investigates whether HPV infection is correlated with changes in plasmatic arginase activity and cervical ARG1 and ARG2 mRNA expression among infected women negative for intraepithelial lesions (NIL).

MATERIEL AND METHODS

The present study included 300 women. The plasmatic arginase activity was evaluated by a colorimetric assay. Cervical HPV was detected by real-time PCR. The circulating viral load and ARG1 and ARG2 mRNA expression quantification were performed by quantitative real-time PCR.

RESULTS

A significant increase in plasma arginase activity and ARG1 and ARG2 mRNA expression levels in cervical cells was observed among HPV-positive women compared to the HPV-negative group. The highest levels were significantly associated with oncogenic HPV, and increased arginase activity was associated with a high HPV circulating viral load. Moreover, the highest levels of arginase activity were observed in oncogenic HPV-positive inflammatory smears.

DISCUSSION

These data suggest that HPV could modulate arginase activity and expression, which may restrict arginine bioavailability and inhibit this amino acid's antiviral properties.

CONCLUSION

Our findings revealed that arginase activity and isoform gene expression were upregulated in women with HPV infection, particularly the oncogenic HPV types.

Genetic Variability in the E6, E7, and L1 Genes of Human Papillomavirus Types 16 and 18 among Women in Saudi Arabia

Cervical cancer is the eighth most frequent cancer in Saudi Arabia, and most cases are associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18. HPV-induced carcinogenesis may be associated with the intra-type variant, genetic mutation, or the continuous expression of viral oncogenes E6 and E7. Infection efficiency and virus antigenicity may be affected by changes in the L1 gene. Thus, this retrospective cohort study analyzed E6, E7, and L1 gene mutations in cervical specimens collected from Saudi women positive for HPV16 or HPV18 infection. HPV16 and HPV18 lineages in these specimens were predominantly from Europe. The L83V mutation in the E6 gene of HPV16 showed sufficient oncogenic potential for progression to cervical cancer. By contrast, the L28F mutation in the E7 gene of HPV16 was associated with a low risk of cervical cancer. Other specific HPV16 and HPV18 mutations were associated with an increased risk of cancer, cancer progression, viral load, and age. Four novel mutations, K53T, K53N, R365P, and K443N, were identified in the L1 gene of HPV16. These findings for HPV16 and HPV18 lineages and mutations in the E6, E7, and L1 genes among women in Saudi Arabia may inform the design and development of effective molecular diagnostic tests and vaccination strategies for the Saudi population.

Prevalence of Human Papillomavirus and Co-Infection with Epstein-Barr Virus in Oral and Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinomas

BACKGROUND

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is one of the most important malignancies, worldwide. Oncogenic viruses, such as human papilloma virus (HPV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), are linked to these cancers and studies suggest a possible interaction between HPV and EBV during co-infections to promote oncogenesis. Nonetheless, these reports are controversial and demand more investigations in this regard. The present work to assessed the prevalence of HPV and co-infection with EBV in oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas.

METHODS

Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues were collected from 166 archived oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma samples from Ahvaz Imam Khomeini hospital, Ahvaz, Iran, from March 2013 and December 2019. Nested-PCR was used to detect the viruses and type-specific PCR/nested-PCR and sequencing were performed for virus genotyping.

RESULTS

Out of the 166 specimens, 84.33% and 16.42% were from oral cavity and oropharynx, respectively; of which, 32 cases (19.3%) were HPV-positive (16.42% of oral cavity and 34.6% of oropharynx). HPV was detected in 36.36%, 25%, and 16.42% of base of tongue, tonsil, and oral tongue tumors, respectively. HPV was more associated with well differentiated tumors (24;18.04%) in compared to moderately and poorly differentiated ones. Regarding HPV-16 genotyping, 7 (21.8%) out of the 32 samples were found to be HPV-16 (4/26 (15.38%) for oropharynx and 3/140 (2.14%) for oral cavity). Moreover, 90 samples were evaluated for EBV infection and co-infection; of which, 4 (4.4%) subjects tested positive for EBV, including two cases with HPV co-infection. All the positive cases were EBV type B, from oral cavity, and histologically well differentiated.

CONCLUSIONS

HPV was more associated with oropharyngeal cancer. This association has been linked to various factors such as repeated oral and oropharyngeal exposure to HPV due to change in patterns of sexual behaviors; a phenomenon that may demand routine HPV vaccination.

Cytological physiognomies and genotype distribution of human papillomaviruses among HPV/HIV co-infected and HPV mono-infected women

BACKGROUND

Co-infection of High Risk Human Papillomavirus (HR-HPV) and HIV is thought to favour initiation of intraepithelial squamous cell lesion and subsequent progression to cervical carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES

Evaluation of cytological physiognomies in relation to possible age influence and the genotype distribution of human papillomaviruses among HPV/HIV co-infected and HPV monoinfected women in Kisii, Kenya.

METHODS

The case-control study enrolled 42 HPV/HIV co-infected and 42 HPV monoinfected women. Cervical swabs were collected in ThinPrep vials for HPV tying and cytological analysis. HPV subtypes were assayed by Xpert® HPV system (GXHPV-CE-10).

RESULTS

Mono-infected women aged 30-39 years had the highest proportion of low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) at 14 (16.67%) while the co-infected aged 50-59 years had the highest proportion of high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) at 9 (10.71%). HPV-16 genotype was the most predominant and it increased with age rise. Older coinfected and mono-infected women (>40 years) had HSIL and LSIL as the most predominant cytological grade respectively.

CONCLUSION

The predominance of HPV-16 and HPV-18/45 genotypes in the study setting is a consideration that would benefit targeted prophylactic vaccination programs. HPV testing and cervical cancer screening for young and older women on a regular basis ought to be reinforced.

Prevalence of antibodies against a cyclic peptide mimicking the FG loop of the human papillomavirus type 16 capsid among Tunisian women

Background

In the past decade, cervical cancer has gone from being the second to the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide, but remains the second most common in developing countries. This cancer is most commonly caused by high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV), mainly type 16 (HPV16), which are sexually transmitted. This study aimed to investigate the usefulness of a cyclic synthetic peptide designed from the major L1 capsid protein of HPV16 for detecting anti-HPV16 antibodies.

Methods

We designed and synthetized a peptide that corresponds to the full sequence of the surface-exposed FG loop. We tested the antigenicity of the linear and the cyclic peptides against HPV16 L1 monoclonal antibodies. We used ELISA to detect anti-peptide antibodies in sera and cervical secretions of 179 Tunisian women, and we applied polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing methods to detect and genotype HPV DNA.

Results

Both the linear and the cyclic peptides were recognized by the same neutralizing monoclonal antibodies, but the cyclic peptide was more reactive with human sera. The prevalence of the anti-peptide antibodies in sera was higher in women with low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LGSIL) than in women with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HGSIL) (44% and 15%, respectively). This contrasts with HPV16 DNA prevalence. Compared to women from the general population, systemic IgG prevalence was significantly higher among sex workers (25%; P = 0.002) and women with LGSIL (44%; P = 0.001). In addition, systemic IgA and cervical IgG prevalence was higher among sex workers only (P = 0.002 and P = 0.001, respectively). We did not observe anti-peptide IgG antibodies in women with a current HPV16 infection.

Conclusion

Anti-peptide IgG in sera or in cervical secretions could be markers of an effective natural immunization against HPV16. This may open novel perspectives for monitoring vaccinated women and for the design of synthetic peptide-based vaccines.

Prevalence and type distribution of human papillomavirus in a Chinese urban population between 2014 and 2018: a retrospective study

Background

Human papilloma virus (HPV) infection is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections among women worldwide. The current study’s main objective is to report the prevalence and distribution of HPV types in an urban population in Beijing, China.

Methods

All the eligible female participants aged ≥18 years were recruited from the Aerospace Center Hospital in Beijing, China between 2014 and 2018. A total of 21 HPV types were detected by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) reverse dot blot method and fluorescence quantitative PCR method.

Results

In total, 12 high risk HPV types and nine low risk HPV types were detected. The HPV-positive rates were 8.85% in 2014, 7.16% in 2015, 7.60% in 2016, 8.31% in 2017, and 7.72% in 2018, respectively, in an urban population in Beijing, China. Overall, no significant differences in the HPV-positive rates were found over the five years. The peak prevalence of HPV infection in all types was observed in age group of 20–24 in all types. HPV52 was the dominant HPV type across the five years . Among all 21 HPV types, HPV66, HPV26, and HPV59 were ranked the top three in coinfection occurrence.

Conclusions

Our findings are very helpful for HPV screening and vaccination. The associations between gynaecological diseases and the HPV types with high prevalence, particularly HPV52, warrant further investigation.

Genotyping of Human Papillomavirus in Cervical Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions in Mexican Women

Approximately 40 genotypes of the human papillomavirus (HPV) have been identified in cervical mucosa. In particular, HPV-16 and HPV-18 have been associated with cervical neoplasia. Squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs) are precursors of cervical cancer. This study aimed to identify the HPV by genotype in SILs using a linear array genotyping test in a population in Mexico. We performed a cross-sectional study of 129 female patients with or without SILs, as determined by colposcopy, who completed a risk factor questionnaire. Cervical swab samples were obtained and genotyped using a Linear Array HPV Genotyping assay. Forty-nine (37.98%) samples were positive for HPV, and 24 genotypes were identified among these samples. The most common genotype was HPV-16. Twelve genotypes were found in both high- and low-grade SILs (HPV-6, 16, 31, 39, 51, 52, 53, 58, 59, 61, 67, and 84), of which seven were high-risk SILs (HPV-16, 31, 39, 51, 52, 58, and 59). Among the populations studied, the most frequent genotype was HPV-16, multiple infections were found, and four patients without injury tested positive for HPV.

Human papillomavirus genotype profiles and cytological grades interlinkages in coinfection with HIV

Introduction

The study aimed to examine and characterize human papilloma virus (HPV) cytological grade trends and genotypes among HPV/HIV co-infected/cases and HPV monoinfected/control women attending Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital, Kenya.

Methods

HIV positive co-infected with HPV (HPV/HIV) and HIV negative women monoinfected with HPV profiled as co-infected/cases and monoinfected/control arms respectively were enrolled. HPV subtypes were assayed by Xpert^® HPV system (GXHPV-CE-10) alongside pathological cytology analysis of cervical tissue samples.

Results

Low grade intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) was the most predominant cytological grade across cases and controls with a prevalence of 32 (38.1%) while high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) was highest among HPV/HIV co-infected with a prevalence of 23 (27.38%). Among the monoinfected (controls) the predominant lesion was low grade intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) with a prevalence of 23 (27.38%). HPV type 16 had the highest prevalence 26 (30.8%) among the VIA positive women in the overall study participants followed by combinations of HPV types (16, 18/45) at 19 (22.6%).

Conclusion

High risk HPV types 16 and 18/45 were the most predominant in the established cytological grades and among the co-infected women. Routine screening using both cytological and HPV testing should be embraced and/or reinforced as early screening and preventive strategies in the covered geographical region population. Provision of the currently available vaccines to these women at an early age would provide effective protection since the HPV type profiles in this population are covered by such vaccines.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of human papillomavirus prevalence and types among women with normal cervical cytology in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

Aim: To predict the impact of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMRO), knowing the prevalence and type distribution of HPV are mandatory. Methods: This study investigated 26,536 women with normal cervical cytology based on the data available from 13 countries of EMRO. Results: The HPV prevalence estimated to be 9.3% (CI = 7.1–12.0). The five most frequent HPV types were HPV 16 (2.3%), 18 (0.7%), 6 (0.7%), 11 (0.6%) and 31 (0.5%). The prevalence of multiple infections of HPV was observed in 1.6% of all cases. Conclusion: The present meta-analysis provides a comprehensive summary of HPV type distribution in normal cervical cytology in EMRO region to estimate and predict the impact of HPV vaccines.

A Meta-Analysis on Human Papillomavirus Type Distribution among Women with Cervical Neoplasia in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region

INTRODUCTION

To date, the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has not been integrated into the national vaccination program of most countries of the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMRO), except for the United Arab Emirates and Libya. The knowledge of HPV genotype distribution in cervical neoplasia is valuable to predict the impact of current HPV vaccines on cancer prevention and can help the health policymakers to select the most appropriate vaccine types in their countries.

METHODS

Hence, this meta-analysis recapitulates all available data on HPV prevalence and genotypes in women with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS), cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) I-III or low- and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL and HSIL, respectively), and invasive cervical cancer (ICC) in EMRO countries.

RESULTS

The meta-analysis included 5,990 cases of cervical precancer and cancer. The overall HPV prevalence was 85.4, 71.3, 59.2, and 34.8% in women with ICC, CIN II-III or HSIL, CIN I or LSIL, and ASCUS, respectively. HPV 16 was the most common genotype followed by HPV 18, representing 58 and 16.5% in ICC cases, respectively.

CONCLUSION

This meta-analysis showed that the introduction of current HPV vaccines into national vaccination programs and the establishment of comprehensive screening programs in EMRO countries is beneficial by preventing 74.5% of cervical neoplasia.

Phylogeny and Classification of Human Papillomavirus (HPV)16 and HPV18 Variants Based on E6 and L1 genes in Tunisian Women with Cervical Lesions

Background:

High-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) types are the main etiological factors for cervical cancer. HPV16 and HPV18 are generally the most common forms associated with development of high-grade cervical lesions. This study was undertaken to identify intratypic variants of HPV16 and HPV18 among women with cervical lesions in Tunisia.

Materials and Methods:

DNA was extracted from cervical samples collected from 49 women. using a PureLinkTM Genomic DNA mini Kit (Invitrogen). E6 and L1 open reading frames (ORF) were amplified by PCR and viral DNA amplicons were subjected to automated sequencing using Big Dye Terminators technology (Applied Biosystems). The obtained sequences were analyzed using an appropriate software program to allow phylogenetic trees to be generated.

Results:

HPV16 and HPV18 were detected in 15 and 5 cases, respectively. HPV16 E6 sequences clustered with the European German lineage (A2) whereas one isolate diverged differently in the L1 region and clustered with the African sub-lineage (B1). HPV 18 E6 sequences clustered with the European sub-lineage (A1) but L1 sequences clustered as a new clade which diverged from A1-A5.

Conclusions:

Our results suggest that the distribution of HPV16 and HPV18 sequences in women with cervical lesions in Tunisia is mainly related to European epidemiological conditions and point to the presence of recombinant HPV forms.

Loss of nuclear NOTCH1, but not its negative regulator NUMB, is an independent predictor of cervical malignancy

The participation of NOTCH signaling in invasive cervical cancer (ICC) remains controversial since both tumor suppressive and oncogenic properties have been described. Additionally, the role of NUMB, a negative regulator of NOTCH, remains unclear in ICC. We aimed to investigate the role of NOTCH1 and NUMB expression and their localization in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and ICC samples. A total of 144 biopsies were obtained from the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, México from 2004 to 2017, and were subjected to immunohistochemistry for NOTCH1 and NUMB. We found that nuclear NOTCH1 expression was more frequently found in CIN samples compared with ICC (77.55% vs. 15.79%, p = 0.001). NUMB was almost exclusively found in the nucleus of CIN samples (32.65% vs. 6.32%, p = 0.001). Cytoplasmic expression of NOTCH1 (44.21%) and NUMB (35.79%) was the most frequent localization in ICC. Multivariable-adjusted analysis showed that the loss of nuclear NOTCH1 expression was an independent predictor of malignancy (β = -3.428, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = -5.127, -1.728, p = 0.001). In contrast, the association between cytoplasmic NUMB expression and cervical cancer was lost after adjusting for nuclear NOTCH1 expression (β = 2.074, 95% [CI] = -0.358, 4.506, P = 0.094). Additionally, patients with cytoplasmic NOTCH1 expression showed a borderline association with longer overall survival (OS) than those with nuclear NOTCH1 expression (P = 0.08). Our data suggest that the loss of nuclear NOTCH1 but not NUMB might be an independent predictor of malignancy in cervical cancer.