It is well recognized that the association of human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical carcinogenesis is based on the presence of HPV DNA sequence. The E6 and E7 oncoproteins encoded by high-risk HPV types play a key role in carcinogenesis. HPV58 type accounts for a larger share of cervical disease in China, whereas data on HPV58 genetic variability in China is limited. We aimed to evaluate the diversity of HPV58 genetic variants by sequencing the entire E6 and E7 genes. Phylogenetic trees were constructed by Maximum likelihood method by MEGA 5.05 software. In this study, the overall HPV infection rate was 22.6% (2891/12780) in Southeast China and the prevalence of HPV58 infection rate was 2.6% (335/12780). 26 nucleotides substitutions were observed in E6 and E7 genes with 10 novel substitutions and 17 non-synonymous substitutions. We obtained 25 distinct variation patterns which the accession GenBank numbers as MH348918-MH348942. All of HPV58 variants belong to lineage A, while no lineage B, C and D were detected in Taizhou area, Southeast China. The sublineage A1, A2, and A3 variants were found in 136 (68.3%), 39 (19.6%), and 24 (12.1%) of HPV58 isolates, respectively. The sublineage A3 variants with T20I/G63S substitutions at E7 oncoprotein carried a significantly higher risk for high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN2 or worse, CIN2+) when compared with other HPV58 variants (odds ratio = 4.41, P < 0.05). Nevertheless, there was no association between HPV58 (sub) lineages and cervical lesions. These data provide the critical characteristics of HPV58 variants to assist further investigation of carcinogenic association and the development of next generation vaccines and diagnostic assays in China.
Keywords: Cervical lesion; Genetic variants; Gynecological cancer; HPV58; Oncogenicity.
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