Molecular epidemiology of HPV in cutaneous and mucosal epithelia from individuals of Santa Fe province, Argentina

ELISA M. BOLATTI; DIEGO CHOUHY; PABLO CASAL; EMMA J. STELLA; ADRIANA A. GIRI

Rosario

Workshop; First ICGEB Workshop on Human Papillomavirus; 2014

International Center for Genetic Engeneering and Biotechnology

Human Papillomaviruses (HPVs) are DNA tumour viruses infecting mucosal and cutaneous epithelia. More than 190 HPV types have been described and divided into five genera (α, β, γ, η, and µ) according to their phylogenetic relationships. Mucosal HPV infection is a well-established cause of cervical cancer and is a relevant factor in other anogenital and head and neck cancers. On the other hand, the clinical implications of the cutaneous HPV types are still unknown and it has been proposed that immunosuppression (UV + immunosuppressive treatment) may contribute to HPV infection. In this report we explore the diversity of mucosal and cutaneous HPVs circulating in individuals from our region. Cervical cells samples from 128 women with cervical pathological diagnosis were analyzed with 2 HPV DNA testing strategies: the L1HPVPCR assay based on MY consensus primers and the CUT primer system and ?hanging-droplet? PCR. HPV DNA was present in 101/128 samples (79%), 75 (74%) of them contained at least one carcinogenic HPV type, being HPV-16 (α-9) the most prevalent type. L1HPVPCR assay and CUT primer system had a general concordance of 58% (74/128). HPV types were determined by hybridization to type-specific probes (L1HPVPCR) or by direct sequencing (CUT system). The same HPV type was found in 39 women using both tests, leading to a type-specific concordance of 38% (39/101). Skin samples were collected from the foreheads of 100 immunocompetent (IC) and 64 immunosuppressed (IS) individuals and analyzed by ?hanging-droplet? PCR with the FAP primer system. HPV DNA was more frequently found in the IC group (65% IC vs. 56% IS). In both populations, most of HPV types and putative types identified belonged to the genera β- and γ-PV, being HPV-20 (β-1) the most prevalent type. Time of sun exposure and age were significantly higher (p≤0.05) in IC HPV-infected subjects, compared to the HPV-uninfected subjects. Using ?hanging-droplet? long PCR assay, the full-length genomes of two γ-PV putative types were amplified. Novel putative types EP1 and FA91 showed 85% and 73% nucleotide identities in the L1 ORF to the HPV-173 (γ-1) and the HPV-148 (γ-12), respectively. These findings expand our knowledge about diversity, evolution and medical implications of the family Papillomaviridae.