title: Genetic variability in E6 and E7 oncogenes of human papillomavirus Type 16 from Congolese cervical cancer isolates.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The molecular epidemiological studies showed that some variants of HPV-16, distributed geographically, would present a higher risk of causing cervical cancer. This study aimed to analyze nucleotide changes of HPV-16 E6 and E7 genomic regions from infected Southwestern Congolese women.
  
  
  METHODS
  DNA of twenty HPV-16 isolates was analyzed by amplifying the E6 and E7 genes using type-specific primers PCR and direct sequencing. The sequences obtained were aligned with the HPV-16 GenBank reference sequences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirteen (65.0%) out of 20 DNA-samples were successfully amplified. Genetic analysis revealed 18 and 4 nucleotide changes in E6 and E7 genomic regions respectively. The most frequently observed nucleotide variations were the missense C143G, G145T and C335T in E6 (100%), leading to the non-synonymous amino acid variation Q14D and H78Y. E7 genomic region was found to be highly conserved with two most common T789C and T795G (100%) silent variations. All HPV-16 variants identified belonged to the African lineage: 7 (53.8%) belonged to Af-1 lineage and 6 (46.1%) to Af-2 lineage. The missense mutation G622A (D21N) in the E7 region seems to be described for the first time in this study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study reported for the first time the distribution of HPV-16 E6 and E7 genetic variants in infected women from southwest Congo. The findings confirmed almost ascendancy of the African lineage in our study population.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Virologie, Microbiologie et Qualité/ETB, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques de Mohammedia, Université Hassan II Casablanca, B.P. 146, 20650 Mohammedia, Maroc ; Laboratoire d'Agroalimentaire et Santé, Département de Biologie Appliquée, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Hassan 1er Settat B.P. 577 Settat, Mohammedia, Maroc ; Laboratoire d'Analyses Médicales et Morphologiques, Hôpital Général de Loandjili, B.P. 8122, Pointe-Noire, Congo.
authors.forename: Luc Magloire Anicet
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Boumba
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Virologie, Microbiologie et Qualité/ETB, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques de Mohammedia, Université Hassan II Casablanca, B.P. 146, 20650 Mohammedia, Maroc ; Laboratoire d'Agroalimentaire et Santé, Département de Biologie Appliquée, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Hassan 1er Settat B.P. 577 Settat, Mohammedia, Maroc.
authors.forename: Samira Zoa
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Assoumou
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Agroalimentaire et Santé, Département de Biologie Appliquée, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Hassan 1er Settat B.P. 577 Settat, Mohammedia, Maroc.
authors.forename: Lahoucine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hilali
authors.affiliation: Centre Médico-social de la Mairie Centrale de Pointe-Noire, B.P. 383, Place de la Liberté, 97116 Pointe-Noire, Congo.
authors.forename: Jean Victor
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Mambou
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Analyses Médicales et Morphologiques, Hôpital Général de Loandjili, B.P. 8122, Pointe-Noire, Congo.
authors.forename: Donatien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Moukassa
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Virologie, Microbiologie et Qualité/ETB, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques de Mohammedia, Université Hassan II Casablanca, B.P. 146, 20650 Mohammedia, Maroc.
authors.forename: Mustapha Moulay
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ennaji
keywords: E6 and E7 genetic variants; Human papillomavirus type 16; Southwest Congo