title: Comparison of HPV genotyping by type-specific PCR and sequencing.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Ações e Pesquisas em Apoio Diagnóstico, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil. nocarvalho@gmail.com
authors.forename: Nara de Oliveira
authors.initials: Nde O
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Dora Méndez
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: del Castillo
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Perone
authors.forename: José Nélio
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Januário
authors.forename: Victor Hugo de
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Melo
authors.forename: Geraldo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brasileiro Filho
mesh_terms: D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral