title: Distribution of HPV-16 variants among isolates from Paraguayan women with different grades of cervical lesion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the distribution of HPV-16 variants among Paraguayan women with different grades of cervical lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-seven HPV-16-positive cervical samples obtained from women attending health centers in Paraguay between March 2007 and April 2009 were examined, including 29 low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL), 29 high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL), 4 cervical cancer, and 5 normal cytology samples. The specimens were analyzed by PCR-directed sequencing of a 364-bp fragment of the long control region of HPV-16, and a phylogenetic tree was compiled with MEGA 5.0 software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most HPV-16 variants belonged to the European branch (82%); these variants were detected among 25 of 29 women with LSIL, 22 of 29 women with HSIL, 3 of 4 women with cervical cancer, and all women with normal cytology. Two isolates yielded new variants of the European branch with nucleotide substitutions at positions A7752C and A7810T. Non-European variants, such as African type 1 (1.5%) and Asian-American (16.5%), were detected only among women with cervical lesions (4/29, LSIL; 6/29, HSIL; 1/29, cervical cancer). These variants had at least 6 nucleotide substitutions adjacent to or within transcription factor binding sites.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All branches of HPV-16 variants were detected among Paraguayan women with cervical lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Health Sciences Research Institute, National University of Asunción, Asunción, Paraguay. lauramendozatorres@gmail.com
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mendoza
authors.forename: María A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Picconi
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mirazo
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mongelós
authors.forename: Graciela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giménez
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Basiletti
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Arbiza
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001665:Binding Sites; D005260:Female; D052162:Human papillomavirus 16 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009711:Nucleotides / Q000235:genetics; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D010239:Paraguay / Q000453:epidemiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D055815:Young Adult; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D009711:Nucleotides; D014157:Transcription Factors