title: Distribution of human papillomavirus type 16 variants in Lithuanian women with cervical cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cervical cancer usually is caused by HPV 16. However, HPV 16 varies within type; different genotypes are described as prototype or variants. Prevalence of different variants differ according the geographic regions and has an unequal impact for cervical cancer development. Our study aimed to identify which variant of HPV 16 was most prevalent in biological samples taken from Lithuanian women with cervical cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 122 HPV 16 positive cervical samples (invasive cancer and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia) were investigated and sequenced to identify different variants. HPV 16 was detected using type specific PCR, exact sequence of the virus was obtained by viral DNA sequencing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Adequate HPV sequence was detected in 106 cases from 122 (86.9% of all cases). After histological confirmation, 96 cases were included in the final analysis. In 33 cases (34.4%) HPV 16 prototype was detected; in 50 cases (52.1%), L83V variant; and in remaining 13 cases (13.5%), multivariant of HPV 16. The frequency of L83V variant in invasive cancer and carcinoma in situ samples was the same (66.7% and 62.0%, respectively; P=0.696). Of analyzed multivariants, 10 were attributed to the European phylogenetic line; 1, to the North American, and 1, to the Asian-American. One sample was not attributed to any of the known phylogenetic lines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The European HPV 16 L83V variant is usually associated with high risk of cervical cancer among women. However, statistically significant difference was not achieved when comparing difference of L83V variants between investigated groups and in HPV 16 L83V variant and prototype distribution in CIN3/Ca in situ and cancer.
authors.affiliation: National Cancer Institute, Vilnius, Lithuania; Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania. Electronic address: zivile.gudleviciene@nvi.lt.
authors.forename: Živilė
authors.initials: Ž
authors.lastname: Gudlevičienė
authors.affiliation: National Cancer Institute, Vilnius, Lithuania; Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Aušra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stumbrytė
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Gabrielė
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Juknė
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Vaida
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Simanavičienė
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Aurelija
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Žvirblienė
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D052162:Human papillomavirus 16 / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008097:Lithuania; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology*
keywords: Cervical cancer; Cervical pathology; HPV16 prototype; L83V variant