We previously reported human papillomavirus type 52 (HPV52) as the most prevalent high-risk genotype in non-cancer individuals in Vietnam. This study aimed to evaluate HPV genotypes and HPV16 E6 and E7 (E6/E7) gene variations in Vietnamese patients with genital cancers. Biopsy samples were collected from 124 Vietnamese patients with genital cancers (20 with vaginal, 50 with vulvar, and 54 with penile cancer). The HPV-DNA was amplified and genotyped, and HPV16 E6/E7 genes were compared with those previously reported for women with normal cervical cytology (N = 23). HPV-DNA was detected in 80.6% (100/124) of the cancer patients (80.0% of vaginal, 82.0% of vulvar, and 79.6% of penile), with HPV16/18 in 86.0% (86/100) and HPV52 in 7.0% (7/100) of the HPV-positive samples. The HPV-DNA prevalence and HPV genotype distribution did not significantly differ among the genital cancer patients (both P = 0.95). Significantly fewer instances of the HPV16 A4 sublineage (34.8% vs. 82.6%, P < 0.0001) and HPV16 E7 29S (36.4% vs. 87.0%, P = 0.0002) occurred in the cancer patients than in the women with normal cytology. Our results indicate that HPV16/18 accounts for more than 85% of genital cancers in Vietnam, and the HPV16 sublineage A4 containing E7 29S may be less oncogenic.
Keywords: HPV; HPV16 E6/E7 variations; HPV16 sublineages; genital cancer.