Abstract

Various evidences reveal that the human papillomavirus (HPV) is the single most important etiologic agent in cervical carcinoma (CC). To investigate the distribution of HPV genotypes in the patients with CC and its precursors in Zhejiang Province, China, a total of 631 eligible samples from patients in Zhejiang Province with CC (N= 181), cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) II–III (N= 345), and CIN I (N= 105) were detected. Age-matched samples of 217 women without cervical neoplasia were detected as control. An improved polymerase chain reaction (PCR)–restriction fragment length polymorphism assay validated by Hybrid Capture II and PCR sequencing was designed for HPV genotype. The prevalence of HPV was 95.0% in CC, 88.4% in CIN II–III, and 73.3% in CIN I, while only 41.9% in control. High-risk/low-risk HPV ratio showed a significant trend of increase with increased grade of CIN and transformation to carcinoma. A total of 24 HPV genotypes were detected in CC and its precursors. Of those, HPV 16 (65.2%), 18 (9.4%), and 58 (9.4%) were the major HPV genotypes in CC, while HPV 16 (37.6%), 58 (19.1%), 33 (10.6%), and 18 (5.4%) in CIN. In conclusion, the distribution of predominant HPV genotypes in the patients with CC and its precursors in Zhejiang Province is HPV 16, 58, and 18, probably as well as 33, which may be high-risk factors for CC.