Comparison of HPV 16 Sequence Variations at Upstream Regulatory Region in the Couples of Patients with Cervical Cancer for Determination of HPV Infectivity

Kim, Jae Weon; Song, Yong Sang; Jeon, Hye Won; Park, No Hyun; Kang, Soon Beom; Lee, Hyo Pyo

Abstract

PURPOSE: Although it is now generally accepted that human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are causally related to cervical neoplasia by plentiful epidemioiogic and experimental works, little is known about the direct evidence of sexual transmission of HPV. This study was undertaken to confirm the transmission route and determine the infectivity of HPV by comparison of HPV 16 sequence variations at upstream regulatory region (URR) in the couples of patient with cervical cancer.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
HPV DNAs obtained from genital lesions of forty married couples of patients with cervical cancer were evaluated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and PCR-directed sequencing.
RESULTS
HPV 16 was detected in fourteen (63.6%) of twenty-two male consorts whose wives were positive for HPV 16. Of these, six (42.9%) couples demonstrated identical HPV 16 URR variants between patients and male consorts, and eight had mismatching HPV 16 URR sequences. Among six couples showed matching HPV 16 variants, three couples mamed for 10, 19, 25 years respectively carried variant 7728/7779, two couples married for 15 years each carried variant 7728/7762, and one couple married for 18 years carried variant 7728/7797,
CONCLUSION
These data suggest that sexual transmission of HPV 16 does occur. A search for more HPV variants in a large cohort is needed to secure high level of precision in molecular epidemiologic study using HPV variant.