Objective: To identify genetic variants in the E6 gene of HPV 16 and to examine the association between these variants and cervical cancer development.
Methods: Cervical samples were collected from 72 patients with cervical cancer and 72 age-matched control subjects, all from Hubei Province, China. HPV 16 sequence was detected with E6 gene-specific polymerase chain reaction, and variants were identified by DNA sequencing.
Results: HPV 16 was detected in 81% of the patients and 43% of control subjects, respectively. The rank orders of incidence of HPV 16 prototype and E6 variants were as follows: D25E (62%), the prototype (17%), E113D (9%), L83V (6%) in case subjects; the prototype (71%), D25E (23%), L83V/E113D (7%) in control subjects. The odds ratio of HPV 16 E6 variant was higher than that of prototype (RR=11.73, 95% CI=4.18-32.94, P=0.0001).
Conclusion: The D25 E variant is the most prevalent E6 genomic variant in Hubei, China. The presence of HPV 16 E6 variant in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) lesions may serve as a useful predictor of clinical outcome of the disease.
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