title: Human papillomavirus type-16 variants in Quechua aboriginals from Argentina.
abstract: Cervical carcinoma is the leading cause of cancer death in Quechua indians from Jujuy (northwestern Argentina). To determine the prevalence of HPV-16 variants, 106 HPV-16 positive cervical samples were studied, including 33 low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL), 28 high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL), 9 invasive cervical cancer (ICC), and 36 samples from women with normal colposcopy and cytology. HPV genome variability was examined in the L1 and E6 genes by PCR-hybridization. In a subset of 20 samples, a LCR fragment was also analyzed by PCR-sequencing. Most variants belonged to the European branch with subtle differences that depended on the viral gene fragment studied. Only about 10% of the specimens had non-European variants, including eight Asian-American, two Asian, and one North-American-1. E6 gene analysis revealed that 43% of the samples were identical to HPV-16 prototype, while 57% corresponded to variants. Interestingly, the majority (87%) of normal smears had HPV-16 prototype, whereas variants were detected mainly in SIL and ICC. LCR sequencing yielded 80% of variants, including 69% of European, 19% Asian-American, and 12% Asian. We identified a new variant, the Argentine Quechua-51 (AQ-51), similar to B-14 plus two additional changes: G7842-->A and A7837-->C; phylogenetic inference allocated it in the Asian-American branch. The high proportion of European variants may reflect Spanish colonial influence on these native Inca descendants. The predominance of HPV-16 variants in pathologic samples when compared to normal controls could have implications for the natural history of cervical lesions.
authors.affiliation: Servicio Virus Oncogénicos, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Infecciosas- ANLIS "Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán," Buenos Aires, Argentina. oncovir@sudnet.com.ar
authors.forename: María Alejandra
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Picconi
authors.forename: Lidia Virginia
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Alonio
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sichero
authors.forename: Viviana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mbayed
authors.forename: Luisa Lina
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Villa
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gronda
authors.forename: Rodolfo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.forename: Angélica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Teyssié
mesh_terms: D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D007199:Indians, South American; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D014764:Viral Proteins