Abstract
BackgroundPersistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is a major risk factor for malignant lesions and cervical cancer. A widely studied element in the search for genetic factors influencing risk HPV infection diseases is allelic variation of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) locus. The study was designed to search for HLA susceptibility alleles contributing to the persistence of HPV infection in Mexican women.MethodsA total of 172 subjects were divided into three groups: 1) HPV–persistent patients; 2) HPV–cleared; and 3) HPV–reinfected patients. They were screened for HPV types using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR-sequence specific oligonucleotide probes (PCR-SSOP) was used for HLA DRB1 and DQB1 typing.ResultsWe observed that HLA-DQB1*0501 allele might be associated with susceptibility of reinfection with HPV (p = 0.01, OR = 4.9, CI 95% = 1.3 -18.7). Allele frequency of HLA-DRB1*14 was particularly reduced in patients with cancer when compared with the HPV–persistent group (p = 0.04), suggesting that this allele is a possible protective factor for the development of cervical cancer (OR = 2.98). HLA-DRB1*07 might be associated with viral clearance (p = 0.04).ConclusionsGenetic markers for HPV infection susceptibility are different in each population, in Mexicans several HLA-DQB1 alleles might be associated with an enhanced risk for viral persistence. In contrast, DRB1*14, seems to confer protection against cervical cancer.
Highlights
Persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is a major risk factor for malignant lesions and cervical cancer
There are studies in Canadian and Senegalese women in which it was not possible to confirm an association between the DQB1*03 allele and the risk of CC or high grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia [14,17] and some studies find a protective role of this allele against HPV infections and CC [18,19,20]
We observed that human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DQB1*0501 allele might be associated with susceptibility of reinfection with HPV and HLA-DRB1*14 seems to confer protection against CC
Summary
Persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is a major risk factor for malignant lesions and cervical cancer. Persistent infection by oncogenic HPV is a risk factor for developing cervical cancer (CC), but only a small number of infected women develop precancerous lesions, and even fewer develop invasive cancer. This indicates that other risk factors, such as genetic predisposition, are very important. DRB1*04:07-DQB1*03:02 and DRB1*15:01-DQB1*06:02 were clearly associated with susceptibility to HPV-16 positive invasive CC [7], high squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL), and carcinoma in situ, but only in HPV16 infected patients [7]. There are studies in Canadian and Senegalese women in which it was not possible to confirm an association between the DQB1*03 allele and the risk of CC or high grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia [14,17] and some studies find a protective role of this allele against HPV infections and CC [18,19,20]
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