Comparison of HPV genotyping by type-specific PCR and sequencing

• Main Authors: Nara de Oliveira Carvalho, Dora Méndez del Castillo, Carlos Perone, José Nélio Januário, Victor Hugo de Melo, Geraldo Brasileiro Filho
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde 2010-02-01
• Series: Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz.
• Subjects: HPV; PCR; sequencing; typing
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0074-02762010000100011
• ISSN: 0074-0276; 1678-8060

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most common sexually transmitted disease worldwide and there is a strong link between certain high-risk viral types and cervical carcinogenesis. Although there are several typing methods, it is still unclear which test is the best. This study compared the effectiveness of type-specific PCR (TS-PCR) and sequencing, with a focus on their clinical application. A total of 260 cervical samples from HPV-positive patients were tested for types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33 and 35 using TS-PCR and sequencing. The genotype was identified in 36% of cases by TS-PCR and in 75% by sequencing. Sequencing was four times more likely to identify the viral type in positive samples than TS-PCR (p = 0.00). Despite being more effective for virus genotyping, sequencing was unable to identify viral types in multiple infections. Combining both techniques resulted in highly sensitive detection (87% of cases), showing that they are complementary methods. HPV genotyping is an important step in HPV management, helping to identify patients with a higher risk of developing cervical cancer and contributing to the development of type-specific vaccines.