title: Human papillomavirus genotypes distribution in cervical cancer cases in Gabon.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cervical cancer is a real public health problem in African countries. The relation between HPV and cervical cancer is well established. However, it is known that the distribution of HPV genotypes differ geographically and this may influence the effectiveness of the three available vaccines, which among other HPV genotypes targets the genotypes 16 and 18 that cause about 70 % of cervical cancers cases. The objective of this study was to identify for the first time the HPV genotypes distribution in cervical cancer specimens obtained from Gabonese women.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 105 cervical samples including 93 formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tissues collected between 2007 and 2013 and 12 fresh biopsies collected in August 2013 were investigated. The presence of HPV DNA was analyzed by nested PCR with primers MY09/11 and GP5+/6+ followed by sequencing for HPV genotyping.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Amplification of the housekeeping gene (β-globin) with PCO4/GH20 primers was successful for 91.4 % (96/105) of the cervical cancer samples and HPV DNA was detected in all the 96 samples. Five different HPV genotypes were identified. HPV 16 [58.3 %; 95 % IC: 48.44-68.16] was the most common genotype followed by HPV 33 [25.0 %; 95 % IC: 16.34-33.66], HPV 18 [8.4 %; 95 % IC: 2.86-13.94], HPV 70 [7.3 %; 95 % IC: 2.1-12.5] and HPV 31 [1.1 %; 95 % IC: -0.986-3.186]. HPV 16 was also the most prevalent in all histological malignant lesions. It was found in 56.6 % of squamous cervical carcinoma and 69.2 % of adenocarcinoma. Concerning the HPV positive adenocarcinoma cases, HPV 18 was identified in 7.7 % (1/13).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings show the predominance of HPV 16 in cervical cancer cases among Gabonese women. However, HPV33 is more prevalent than HPV18. Our study suggests that HPV vaccines may be effective at reducing the burden of cervical cancer in Gabon.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire National de Référence IST/Sida, Laboratoire de Référence OMS Rougeole, Rubéole, Fièvre jaune et Tétanos néonatal, Département de Bactériologie-Virologie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université des Sciences de la Santé, Libreville, Gabon ; Laboratoire de Virologie, Microbiologie et Qualité/Eco-toxicologie et Biodiversité, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques de Mohammedia, Université Hassan II-Casablanca, Casablanca, Morocco.
authors.forename: Samira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zoa-Assoumou
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire National de Référence IST/Sida, Laboratoire de Référence OMS Rougeole, Rubéole, Fièvre jaune et Tétanos néonatal, Département de Bactériologie-Virologie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université des Sciences de la Santé, Libreville, Gabon.
authors.forename: Angelique
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ndjoyi-Mbiguino
authors.affiliation: Département d'Anatomie et de Cytologie pathologiques, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université des Sciences de la Santé, Libreville, Gabon.
authors.forename: Barthelemy Mabika
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Mabika
authors.affiliation: Institut de Cancérologie d'Agondjé, Libreville, Gabon.
authors.forename: Ernest
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Belembaogo
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Agroalimentaire et Santé, Département de biologie, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques de Settat, Université Hassan I, Settat, Morocco.
authors.forename: Abdelkim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khattabi
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Virologie, Microbiologie et Qualité/Eco-toxicologie et Biodiversité, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques de Mohammedia, Université Hassan II-Casablanca, Casablanca, Morocco.
authors.forename: My Mustapha
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ennaji
keywords: Cervical cancer; Gabon; Genotyping; Human papillomavirus