Human Papillomavirus Viral Load Research Articles

Human papillomavirus type 16 viral load in relation to HIV infection, cervical neoplasia and cancer in Senegal

Background: The importance of human papillomavirus (HPV) viral load in the pathogenesis of cervical cancer among HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected women has not yet been established. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, HPV-16 viral loads were measured using previously-collected and frozen cervical swab samples from 498 HPV-16 positive Senegalese women (368 HIV-seronegative, 126 HIV-1 and/or HIV-2 seropositive). The real-time polymerase chain reaction assay was used to quantify HPV-16 E7 copy number normalized by human cellular DNA (β-actin), and viral loads were log10 transformed. Associations between HPV-16 viral load, degree of cervical abnormality, and HIV status were assessed using multinomial and linear regression methods. Results: Compared to women with normal cytology, the likelihood of CIN1 (ORa: 1.21, 95% CI 0.93–1.57), CIN2-3 (ORa: 2.38, 95% CI 1.72–3.29) and cancer (ORa: 2.12, 95% CI 1.52–2.96) was found to increase for each 1-unit log10 increase in HPV-16 viral load. Compared to HIV-negative women, HIV-positive women had higher average HPV-16 viral load values (βa: 0.39, 95% CI 0.03–0.75), even after accounting for degree of cervical abnormality. Conclusion: In our study of women including those with cancer, HPV-16 viral load was associated with a higher likelihood of cervical abnormalities. However, substantial overlaps across categories of disease severity existed. Higher viral load among HIV-infected individuals may indicate that HIV infection influences HPV viral replication factors.

Semi-quantitative HPV viral load in patients with ASC-US cytology: viral load correlates strongly with the presence of CIN but only weakly with its severity.

This study was performed to evaluate the prognostic significance of human papillomavirus (HPV) viral load, expressed in relative light units (RLUs), in patients with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) cytology. A total of 349 ASC-US cases with HPV infection, detected using Hybrid Capture 2, were diagnosed histologically. A colposcopically directed punch biopsy was performed on acetowhite areas. Endocervical curettage biopsy and random cervical punch biopsy in four quadrants were performed in unsatisfactory colposcopy cases. In negative colposcopy cases, random cervical punch biopsy in four quadrants was performed. Case with no cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), CIN1 and CIN2+ (CIN2/CIN3) accounted for 162, 135 and 52 cases, respectively. The mean age showed no difference among the three groups (P=0.510). There was a significant correlation between RLU values and the presence of CIN (P<0.001), but less so with its severity: the median RLU values for negative, CIN1 and CIN2+ cases were 42.68, 146.45 and 156.43, respectively, with widely overlapping confidence intervals. The cut-off values of RLU to detect CIN1+ and CIN2+ were 6.73 and 45.64, respectively. The HPV viral load in ASC-US cases showed a significant correlation with the presence of CIN and less so with its severity, and showed large overlap of viral loads between grades of CIN. In ASC-US cases, RLU was not an accurate predictor of immediate high-grade CIN.

Value of high risk human papillomavirus viral load in predicting cervical lesions and triaging for high risk (HR)-HPV-positive women

To evaluate the value of high risk (HR)-HPV viral load in predicting cervical lesions and triaging for HR-HPV positive women. The study cohort came from a multicenter cervical cancer screening program. HR-HPV was detected by hybrid capture 2 (HC-2) assay, and viral load was measured by the ratio of relative light units to cut off (RLU/CO). Women were divided into 4 groups according to the RLU/CO value, and CIN diagnostic system was used to describe the severity of cervical lesions. Chi-square trend test was used to analyze the association between viral load and CIN. The absolute and relative risks of CIN2+ in different viral load groups were calculated, and the clinical performance to detect CIN2+ at follow-up by different cut-off values of baseline RLU/CO was also calculated. 2 725 women with complete results of both baseline and follow-up were included in this analysis. The severity of cervical lesions increased with the increasing viral load (P < 0.001). In women with normal or CIN1 diagnosis at baseline, the absolute risk of one-year accumulative CIN2+ was 0.11% in the HR-HPV-negative group, compared with 3.14% in the moderate viral load group and 6.09% in the high viral load group, and the relative risk of 29.05 (95%CI: 6.07-138.99) in the moderate viral load group and 56.34 (95%CI: 12.89-246.30) in the high viral load group. Raising cut-off value of baseline HR-HPV viral load to 15.00, RLU/CO decreased the number of women who need to be followed up at one-year from 774 to 412, with the sensitivity of 91.30% and specificity of 47.94% in detecting CIN2+ at follow-up. The risk of cervical cancer and precancerous lesions increases with the increasing HR-HPV viral load. Raising the cut-off value of HR-HPV viral load can triage for HR-HPV-positive women, therefore help to allocate the health resources more effectively.

Interest of Human Papillomavirus DNA quantification and genotyping in paired cervical and urine samples to detect cervical lesions

Cervical cancer is caused by persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV). Conventional human papillomavirus (HPV) testing requires cervical sampling. However, vaginal and urine self-sampling methods are more acceptable for patients and result in increased participation when they are available in screening programs. In this context, we have developed a non-invasive screening method via the detection of HPV DNA in urine samples. To compare HPV viral loads and genotypes in paired cervical and urine samples, and to assess correlation between virological and cytological results in women seeking gynecological consultation. Paired urine and cervical specimens were collected and analyzed from 230 of 245 women participating in the previously described prospective PapU study. HPV DNA detection and quantification were performed using a real-time PCR method with short fragment PCR primers. Genotyping was carried out using the INNO-LiPA HPV genotyping assay. The prevalence of HPV in the 230 paired urine and cervical smear samples was 42 and 49 %, respectively. Overall agreement for HPV positivity and negativity between the paired samples was 90 % (κ = 0.80). High HPV viral load in both cervical and urine samples was associated with cytological abnormalities. HPV-positive women were mostly infected with HR-HPV types. The agreement between high- and low-risk HPV (LR-HPV) detection in both samples was 97 % (κ = 0.95 for HR-HPV and κ = 0.97 for LR-HPV). High concordance rates for HPV-DNA quantification and high/low-risk HPV genotyping in paired urine/cervical samples suggest that urinary HPV DNA testing could be useful for cervical lesion screening.

Increased alpha-9 human papillomavirus species viral load in human immunodeficiency virus positive women

BackgroundPersistent high-risk (HR) human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and increased HR-HPV viral load are associated with the development of cancer. This study investigated the effect of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection, HIV viral load and CD4 count on the HR-HPV viral load; and also investigated the predictors of cervical abnormalities.MethodsParticipants were 292 HIV-negative and 258 HIV-positive women. HR-HPV viral loads in cervical cells were determined by the real-time polymerase chain reaction.ResultsHIV-positive women had a significantly higher viral load for combined alpha-9 HPV species compared to HIV-negative women (median 3.9 copies per cell compared to 0.63 copies per cell, P = 0.022). This was not observed for individual HPV types. HIV-positive women with CD4 counts >350/μl had significantly lower viral loads for alpha-7 HPV species (median 0.12 copies per cell) than HIV-positive women with CD4 ≤350/μl (median 1.52 copies per cell, P = 0.008), but low CD4 count was not significantly associated with increased viral load for other HPV species. High viral loads for alpha-6, alpha-7 and alpha-9 HPV species were significant predictors of abnormal cytology in women.ConclusionHIV co-infection significantly increased the combined alpha-9 HPV viral load in women but not viral loads for individual HPV types. High HR-HPV viral load was associated with cervical abnormal cytology.

High-risk human papillomavirus viral load and persistence among heterosexual HIV-negative and HIV-positive men

ObjectivesHigh-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) viral load is associated with HR-HPV transmission and HR-HPV persistence in women. It is unknown whether HR-HPV viral load is associated with persistence in HIV-negative or...

Value of P16 and Ki-67 expression in anal intraepithelial lesions in HIV-positive patients

<h3>Purpose</h3> To investigate the value of p16 and Ki-67 expression by immunohistochemistry and relation with grade of the anal intraepithelial lesions in HIV-positive patients. <h3>Materials and methods</h3> Twenty HIV-positive patients with high-risk HPV in anal samples underwent to anoscopy and anal biopsy of acetowhite lesions. The p16 and Ki-67 expression by immunohistochemistry using a morphology-independent interpretation p16/Ki-67 dual-stain cytology testing and HPV (human papillomavirus) detection by PapilloCheck testing was analyzed and compared with grade of anal biopsy results. <h3>Results</h3> Anal intraepithelial neoplasia was observed in 7/20 (35%) of the patients (low-grade AIN n=6, and high-grade AIN n=l). Expression of p16/Ki-67 was demonstrated in the sample with high-grade AIN but only 1/6 (16.6%) of the samples diagnosed with low-grade AIN was p16/Ki-67 +. No p16/Ki-67 expression was observed in the negative biopsy sample. In the biopsy sample with high-grade AIN double-stained cells were observed in full thickness of the epithelium and in low-grade AIN the expression were sparse. <h3>Conclusions</h3> By using p16/ Ki-67 staining, despite the presence of multiple high-risk HPV infection and high HPV viral load, the results of this study suggest that the potential for the development of anal high-grade lesion is low.

Viral load and short-term natural history of type-specific oncogenic human papillomavirus infections in a high-risk cohort of midadult women

Oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) viral load may inform the origin of newly detected infections and characterize oncogenic HPV natural history in midadult women. From 2007 to 2011, we enrolled 521 25-65-year-old-female online daters and followed them triannually with mailed health and sexual behavior questionnaires and kits for self-sampling for PCR-based HPV DNA testing. Samples from oncogenic HPV positive women were selected for type-specific DNA load testing by real-time PCR with adjustment for cellularity. Linear or logistic regression models were used to evaluate relationships between viral levels, health and sexual behavior, and longitudinal oncogenic HPV detection. Type-specific viral levels were borderline significantly higher in oncogenic HPV infections that were prevalent versus newly detected (p = 0.092), but levels in newly detected infections were higher than in infections redetected after intercurrent negativity (p < 0.001). Recent sex partners were not significantly associated with viral levels. Compared with prevalent infections detected intermittently, the likelihood of persistent (OR = 4.31, 95% CI: 2.20-8.45) or single-time (OR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.03-1.71) detection increased per 1-unit increase in baseline log10 viral load. Viral load differences between redetected and newly detected infections suggest a portion of new detections were due to new acquisition, although report of recent new sex partners (a potential marker of new infection) was not predictive of viral load; oncogenic HPV infections in midadult women with new partners likely represent a mix of new acquisition and reactivation or intermittent detection of previous infection. Intermittent detection was characterized by low viral levels, suggesting that intermittent detection of persisting oncogenic HPV infection may be of limited clinical significance.

上海地区HPV分型及高危型HPV负荷量与宫颈病变的关系

The epidemiological distribution of human papillomavirus(HPV) subtypes varies among different countries and also in different areas within the same country.HPV viral load is correlated with the grade of cervical intraepithelial lesion.Therefore,HPV subtype and HPV viral load testing have drawn increasing research attention.We investigated 515 cervical disease specimens collected from patients at the Shanghai Pudong New Area Gongli Hospital.We used guide hybrid gene chip technology(HybriMax) to conduct HPV genotyping and measured HPV viral load by RT-PCR.We then analyzed the correlations between HPV genotypes and grade of cervical disease,as well as HPV viral load and cervical disease.We detected 18 HPV subtypes in Shanghai.Six high-risk subtypes(HPV 16,58,33,52,31,18) had a detection rate of over 5%,of which four subtypes(HPV 16,58,33,52) were significantly correlated with the severity of cervical lesions.Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that HPV viral load and cervical lesion grade were positively correlated(r=0.318,P=0.000);this correlation was primarily as a result of HPV-16 and HPV-33.This study presents the prevalent HPV subtypes in Shanghai and analyzes HPV viral load and the relationship to cervical lesions.These results provide evidence for the clinical significance of HPV viral load in rapid screening for cervical lesions,and serves to inform for the development of a polyvalent vaccine for China.

Alcohol Consumption and Viral Load Are Synergistically Associated with CIN1

PurposeWe investigated the association between alcohol consumption and risk of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and cervical cancer, and determined whether these associations were modified by human papillomavirus (HPV) viral load in high-risk HPV-positive women participating in the Korean HPV cohort study (KHPV).MethodsAmong the women recruited in the KHPV (n = 1,243) from March 2006 to December 2009, we analyzed normal cytology (n = 581) as control group, CIN1 (n = 299), CIN2/3 (n = 161), or cervical cancer (n = 202). Multinomial logistic analysis was performed to estimate multivariate-adjusted odds ratios (OR).ResultsAlcohol drinkers had an increased risk of CIN1 (OR = 2.18, 95% CI 1.22–3.89) compared with non-drinkers after adjusting for potential confounders. Subjects with more frequent alcohol consumption had a higher risk of CIN1 (p for linear trend <0.0001). Higher ethanol consumption was associated with an increased risk of CIN1 (p for linear trend = 0.0001). We also observed a synergistic effect between HPV viral load and alcohol consumption: drinkers with a high HPV viral load (≥100 RLU/PC) were associated with a significantly increased risk of CIN1 (OR = 19.1; 95% CI, 6.60–55.3, interaction p<0.001). There were no associations between alcohol drinking and CIN2/3 or cervical cancer.ConclusionsHPV viral load and alcohol was associated with the risk of CIN1 among high-risk HPV-positive women. This is the first demonstration that alcohol is an independent and combined risk factor of CIN1.

Association of HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18 DNA detection and serological response in unvaccinated adolescent women.

Antibodies directed against the human papillomavirus (HPV) L1 protein are detected in approximately 70% of individuals with HPV infections. The factors associated with a serological response are not characterized. It is hypothesized that the HPV viral load, duration of detection, or both would be associated with seropositivity in adolescent women. Adolescent women (n = 117), ages 15-17 at enrolment were followed for a mean of 6.2 years. Quarterly vaginal swabs (mean 22 per participant) were used to identify HPV 6, 11, 16, or 18 DNA (Roche PCR/Linear Array). Type-specific HPV infection was defined as ≥2 positive assays. To approximate viral load, Roche PCR/Linear Array test strips were scored visually based on the strength of signal relative to beta-globin controls. Sera collected near the end of study were tested by cLIA. Regression models were fit to assess associations between strength of signal (as represented by mean and cumulative strength of signal), duration of HPV detection, seropositivity, and serotiter. Detection of HPV DNA was associated with seropositivity for four types combined and for types 6, 16, and 18. Overall, 70.1% of DNA positive episodes were associated with type-specific seropositivity. The cumulative HPV DNA signal strength during periods of HPV detection for types 6, 11, 16, and 18 combined was associated with seropositivity (OR = 1.21, 95% CI 1.02-1.44 P = 0.026). No other HPV DNA predictors were found to be associated with seropositivity or serotiter.

P3.222 High Risk Human Papillomavirus Viral Load and Persistence Among HIV-Negative and HIV-Positive Men

BackgroundHigh-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) viral load is associated with transmission and persistence in women. It is unknown whether viral load is associated with HR-HPV persistence in HIV-negative or HIV-positive men.Methods703...

Six-Year Regression and Progression of Cervical Lesions of Different Human Papillomavirus Viral Loads in Varied Histological Diagnoses

This study aims to evaluate human papillomavirus (HPV) viral loads as a biomarker for triage into colposcopy and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 (CIN2) therapy to reduce the colposcopy referral rate and CIN2 overtreatment in low-resource settings. In 1999, 1997 women aged 35 to 45 years in Shanxi, China, received 6 cervical screenings with pathological confirmation. In 2005, 1461 histologically normal women, 99 with CIN grade 1 (CIN1), and 30 with CIN2 or worse (CIN2+) were rescreened in a follow-up study. Human papillomavirus was detected by Hybrid Capture 2. Viral load, estimated by the ratio of relative light units to standard positive control (RLU/PC), was categorized into 4 groups: negative (<1.0), low (≥1.0, <10.0), moderate (≥10.0, <100.0), and high (≥100.0). We estimated the cumulative incidence of CIN2+ by viral load subgroups and calculated adjusted hazard ratios for CIN2+ using Cox proportional hazards regression. Cumulative incidence of CIN2+ increased with baseline HPV viral loads among normal women and women with CIN1 at baseline (P(-trend) < 0.001). Repeat moderate-high viral load was associated with the highest risk for CIN2+ (adjusted hazard ratio, 188.8; 95% confidence interval, 41.2-864.1). Raising the ratio of relative light units to standard positive control cutoff from 1.0 to 10.0 for colposcopy greatly reduced the referral rate from 18.1% to 12.9%. It also increased the specificity (84.8% vs 90.4%), the positive predictive value (22.5% vs 28.9%), and the positive likelihood ratio (6.4 vs 8.9), yet with loss of sensitivity by 12% (97.6% vs 85.7%). Among women with CIN2 at baseline, 56% regressed to normal, 24% regressed to CIN1, 4% remained CIN2, and 16% progressed to CIN grade 3 or worse. Locales using HPV testing as the primary screening method and lacking high-quality cytology-based screening should consider viral load as an alternative to colposcopy triage for women older than 35 years. Viral loads may also predict CIN2 progression until additional biomarkers become available.

PP066: No association between human papillomavirus infection and oral verrucous lesions

Purpose Verrucous carcinoma (VC) is a low grade, non-metastasising, slow-growing variant of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The aetiology of VC is unknown, and the role of human papillomavirus (HPV) as a causative factor remains contentious. This dubiety can be attributed to varied detection procedures and difficulties in defining ‘gold-standard’ histological criteria for diagnosing verrucous lesions including VC, Verrucous hyperplasia (VH), and proliferative verrucous leukoplakia (PVL). The rarity of these lesions also makes them difficult to study and investigate, so most previous studies have been made on small numbers of cases. The aim of this study is to analyse oral verrucous lesions (including VC, VH, and PVL cases) for the presence of HPV subtype genomes. Materials and methods We used a recently developed and validated method, ‘next generation sequencing’ for the detection of HPV sequences, subtypes, and viral loads from nanogram DNA quantities isolated from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue. In this present study, we identified a total of 62 oral verrucous cases: 49 OVCs, 12 OVHs, and one PVL. DNA was extracted from all samples and libraries were prepared followed by sequencing at coverage between 2.5% and 13%. Genomic copy number karyograms were produced and all samples were analysed for the presence of all HPV subtypes and for other known human viral genome sequences. Results HPV sequences were not detected in 61 verrucous cases out of 62 total cases. An HPV type 16 sequence was detected in only one OVH sample [2.24 viral genomes per cell]. Conclusions We confirm that NGS can be used as a precise method for detection of HPV subtypes and loads, and provide genomic copy number karyograms for FFPE verrucous samples in a single test. Furthermore, Our results demonstrate conclusively that HPV involvement is unlikely to be a feature in oral verrucous lesions, nor are any other common human viruses implicated.

Male circumcision decreases high‐risk human papillomavirus viral load in female partners: A randomized trial in Rakai, Uganda

Male circumcision (MC) reduces high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection in female partners. We evaluated the intensity of HR-HPV viral DNA load in HIV-negative, HR-HPV-positive female partners of circumcised and uncircumcised men. HIV-negative men and their female partners were enrolled in randomized trials of MC in Rakai, Uganda. Vaginal swabs were tested for HR-HPV genotypes by Roche HPV Linear Array which provides a semi-quantitative measure of HPV DNA by the intensity of genotype-specific bands (graded:1-4). We assessed the effects of MC on female HR-HPV DNA load by comparing high intensity linear array bands (3-4) to low intensity bands (1-2) using an intention-to-treat analysis. Prevalence risk ratios (PRR) of high intensity bands in partners of intervention versus control arm men were estimated using log-binomial regression with robust variance. The trial included 335 women with male partners in the intervention arm and 340 in the control arm. At enrollment, the frequency of HR-HPV high intensity linear array bands was similar in both study arms. At 24 months follow-up, the prevalence of high intensity bands among women with detectable HR-HPV was significantly lower in partners of intervention arm (42.7%) than control arm men (55.1%, PRR = 0.78, 95% CI 0.65-0.94, p = 0.02), primarily among incident HR-HPV infections (PRR = 0.66, 95% CI 0.50-0.87, p = 0.003), but not persistent infections (PRR = 1.02, 95% CI 0.83-1.24). Genotypes with high HR-HPV band intensity were more likely to persist (adjHR = 1.27 95% CI 1.07-1.50), irrespective of male partner circumcision status. MC reduces HR-HPV DNA load in newly infected female partners.

Viral load of human papillomavirus in women with normal and abnormal cervical cytology in Kuwait

Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are the most commonly known sexually transmitted agents. Almost all cases of cervical cancer are caused by persistent infection. This study was conducted to ascertain whether there is a difference in HPV load in cervical samples with normal and abnormal cervical cytology reports in Kuwait. HPV-positive abnormal ThinPrep samples (n = 206) and normal ThinPrep samples (n = 120) were taken from women attending gynecology clinics. Real-time PCR was used to measure the viral load for all HPV genotypes. The median normalized viral load in samples with normal and abnormal cytology reports was 0.86 × 10-7 and 4.66 × 10-7, respectively (p = 0.001). Median normalized viral load of high-risk (HR), intermediate-risk (IR) and low-risk (LR) HPV was 4.04 × 10-7, 0.71 × 10-7 and 2.38 × 10-7, respectively, (p = 0.002). The findings suggest that, in the absence of a proper screening programme in Kuwait, quantification of HPV viral load could be considered as a surrogate virology test to identify women with abnormal cytology. Further population-based prospective studies are needed to include more women with high-grade and invasive carcinoma reports.

Effectiveness of HPV 16 viral load and the E2/E6 ratio for the prediction of cervical cancer risk among Chinese women

The effectiveness of the E2/E6 ratio, the state of viral genome integration and the viral load of human papillomavirus 16 (HPV 16) in predicting the risk of cervical cancer among Chinese women was investigated. Quantitative PCRs for the E2/E6 ratio and the viral load were performed on 85 cervical cancer samples and 55 HPV 16 positive healthy controls. The integrated form of the viral genome was found in 10.9% control samples and in 26.4% cervical cancer samples (P = 0.02). The majority of the cervical cancer (63.2%) and control samples (60%) were mixed forms. The E2/E6 ratio was associated with a high risk of cervical cancer (OR = 7.29, P = 9.55E-6). The integrated form (OR = 6.54, P = 0.005) and mixed form (OR = 2.93, P = 0.042) increased the risk of cervical cancer. The mean viral load in cervical cancer samples (37,371 ± 227,135) was higher than that in the controls (4,619 ± 27,079; P = 0.011). Additionally, the viral load increased along with the cervical cancer progression from the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage I (12,337 ± 25,604) to stage II (67,453 ± 319,821). Compared with the state of viral genome integration (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) = 0.743) or the viral load (AUC = 0.694), the E2/E6 ratio improved the effectiveness of the risk prediction of cervical cancer (AUC = 0.777), with the sensitivity (specificity) 81.2% (71.7%). The state of viral genome integration and the viral load of HPV 16 were important factors for the risk prediction of cervical cancer among Chinese women, and the E2/E6 ratio had a better cervical cancer risk prediction with age adjustment.

Six-Year Regression and Progression of Cervical Lesions of Different Human Papillomavirus Viral Loads in Varied Histological Diagnoses

Six-Year Regression and Progression of Cervical Lesions of Different Human Papillomavirus Viral Loads in Varied Histological Diagnoses

Viral load of HPV 16/18 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in three ethnic groups living in Xinjiang Autonomous Region, China

To investigate the viral load of human papillomavirus (HPV) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients from three ethnic groups in Xinjiang. Using Gp5+/Gp6+ consensus primers, the prevalence of HPV DNA was examined in 253 paraffin-embedded ESCC samples. The presence and viral load of HPV 16 and HPV 18 were detected in Kazakhs, Uygurs and Hans using type-specific primers by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Among the 253 ESCC samples, 52 cases were positive for HPV DNA, all the 52 positive cases displayed HPV 16 infection, and six of the 52 cases were co-infected by HPV 16 and 18. HPV 16-positive rate and viral load were higher in lesions, and was inversely correlated with differentiation grades. However, there was no statistic significance among different differentiation grades. Also, there were no significant difference between detection rates of HPV types, viral load and age, gender, ethnic group, and lymph node metastasis. HPV 16 and HPV 18 genotypes could simultaneously be detected in ESCC specimens in three main ethnic groups in Xinjiang. The viral load of HPV 16 is higher in the ESCC lesions, and is inversely correlated with the differentiation grades. These observations reinforce the suggestion that HPV infection may involved in ESCC carcinogenesis; however, high prevalence or viral load of HPV infection does not seem to be related with high incidence of ESCC in Kazakhs, which may be the one element among the multiple risk factors contributing to ESCC.

Detection and genotyping of human papillomavirus by real-time PCR assay

BackgroundDiagnosis of human papillomavirus (HPV) disease remains a challenge due to several factors related to the cost, the workload of available commercial assays to detect and genotype HPV, and to the low prevalence of infected patients. ObjectiveOur study aimed to develop a real-time PCR, based on SPF10 primers, in order to combine HPV-DNA detection and genotype identification avoiding the negative samples. Study designValidation of SYBR-green based SPF10 real-time PCR on HPV-DNA plasmids followed by the investigation of the viral status in 92 samples from oropharyngeal (94%) cutaneous biopsies (3%) and anal smears (3%) which had previously been HPV-genotyped by LiPA hybridization. In-house HPV viral loads were performed to evaluate the SPF10 real-time PCR sensitivity. ResultsData showed that 100% of HPV plasmids, assessable by LiPA hybridization, were detected and genotyped appropriately after SPF10 real-time PCR assays. These results defined a range of melting temperature peaks for HPV positivity by real-time PCR. The efficient determination of the presence of HPV-DNA by SPF10 real-time PCR was validated for 98% of clinical samples compared to commercial method. Discordant results were due to a low HPV-DNA amount and to a supplementary HPV genotype identified. The SPF10 real-time PCR sensitivity was evaluated between 1 and 10copies/103cells using in-house HPV (6, 11 and 16) viral load assays. ConclusionThe real-time PCR method was efficient in combining screening and genotyping of HPV-DNA. Cost and workload reduction by SPF10 real-time PCR approach may facilitate earlier diagnosis and clinical management of HPV infected patients.