Assessing genetic evolution and detecting human papillomavirus by matching two complementary highly sensitive...

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Molecular Biology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a significant global health concern, particularly for women's health.
• Accurate detection strategies are crucial for managing HPV infection and preventing false negatives.
• Understanding HPV genotype prevalence and genetic evolution aids in disease control and prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of HPV genotypes in women in Qom province, Iran.
• To evaluate a novel diagnostic approach using semi-nested quantitative PCR for HPV detection.
• To analyze the genetic evolution and phylogenetic relationships of detected HPV genotypes.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 486 Pap smear samples using semi-nested quantitative PCR for HPV DNA detection.
• Sequencing of positive samples and submission to GenBank for phylogenetic and polymorphism analysis.
• Determination of the limit of detection (LOD) for various HPV genotypes using the developed method.

Main Results:

• Overall HPV prevalence was 11.7% in the studied population.
• HPV6 (43.24%) was the most frequent low-risk (LR) genotype, and HPV16 (6.75%) was the most frequent high-risk (HR) genotype.
• The developed semi-nested qPCR achieved a limit of detection of approximately 10-100 copies per reaction for different HPV genotypes.

Conclusions:

• The study provides crucial data on HPV genotype distribution in Qom, Iran, informing public health strategies.
• The optimized semi-nested qPCR method demonstrates improved sensitivity for HPV detection, aiding in the prevention of false negatives.
• Understanding HPV genetic diversity and prevalence is essential for effective HPV infection management and control in women.