Characterization of common and rare human papillomaviruses in Portuguese women by the polymerase chain reaction, restriction fragment length polymorphism and sequencing

The present study aimed to provide additional information on the prevalence of mucosal human papillomavirus (HPV) types in Portuguese women by using polymerase chain reaction, restriction fragment length polymorphism and sequencing. HPV was detected in 15.5% (15/97) of the control samples, 23.5% (12/51) of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance, 52.8% (28/53) of low-grade lesions, 82.4% (28/34) of high-grade lesions, and 100% (44/44) of carcinomas. Overall, 28 HPV types were detected: 11 high-risk (HPV 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 52, 56, 58, and 59), 3 probable high-risk (HPV 53, 66, and 73), 6 low-risk (HPV 6, 11, 44, 61, 70, and 81), and 8 unknown-risk types (HPV 34, 62, 67, 71, 83, 84, 102, and 108). The most prevalent type was HPV 16, detected in 33.8% of women infected with HPV, followed by HPV 58 (9.2%), HPV 33 (7.0%), HPV 18 (6.3%), HPV 53 (5.6%), HPV 31 and 56 (4.9% each), HPV 6 (3.5%), and HPV 66 and 81 (2.8% each). Of 44 cervical carcinoma samples, 71% were associated with HPV 16 (60%) and HPV 18 (11.1%), followed by the high-risk types 33 (11.1%), 35 (4.4%), 45 (4.4%), and 56 (2.2%), the probable high-risk type 53 (4.4%) and the unknown-risk type 67 (2.2%). This study provides information on the most common HPV types in Portuguese women and suggests that the current prophylactic HPV 16/18 vaccine may be useful for the prevention of cervical cancer in this population.