Prevalence of human papillomavirus genotypes in cervical cancer

Cervical cancer is the second most common female genital cancer worldwide. There is strong epidemiological and molecular evidence indicating that human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a necessary event in the development of cervical intraepithelial lesion and subsequent invasive carcinoma. The aim of this study was to investigate the HPV genotype distribution and prevalence in cervical cancer of Thai women.

One hundred fifty-five cervical cancer specimens were enrolled in this study. The HPV genotypes were determined by means of the combined use of a line probe assay (INNO-LiPA) and DNA chip methods.

Of the overall prevalence of HPV in the study group, 83.2% and 11.6% of the cases had single and multiple genotype infections, respectively. The most prevalent genotypes were HPV 16 (51%), followed by HPV 18 (20%), HPV 52 (10.3%), HPV 58 (5.8%), and HPV 33 (4.5%). All HPV genotypes found in this study could be classified as 13 high-risk HPV, 2 low-risk HPV, and 2 additional types. Of the specimens, 94.8% had at least one high-risk HPV genotype infection.

As for the potential benefits of commercially available prophylactic vaccines to prevent HPV infection in Thailand, both vaccines (bivalent and quadrivalent) can protect from HPV-related cervical cancer in only approximately 71%. Therefore, screening programs such as routine Papanicolaou test, cytology, and HPV DNA detection are still essential for cervical cancer prevention. Moreover, future generations of HPV vaccines should also include the other most common genotypes and decrease the severe adverse effects reported at the present time.