Objective: To investigate the infection rate and genotypes of HPV in cervical cancer and analyse the clinicopathological characteristics and risk factors for cervical cancer with HPV infection in Chinese and Australian patients.
Methods: The human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in cervical cancer specimens from 115 Chinese women and 79 Australian women was detected by polymerase chain reaction.HPV types were determined by sequencing and reverse hybridization. The relationship a between the HPV types and the clinicopathological characteristics of cervical cancer in Chinese and Australian women were analyzed.
Results: HPV DNA positive rate was 76. 5% in the Chinese women (88/115) and 89.9% in the Australian women (71/79, P = 0. 017). There were no significant differences of HPV 16 and HPV 18 prevalence between the two groups (P = 0. 806). HPV 58 and 59 were more prevalent in Chinese women (both 6. 8%) than in Australian women (1. 4% and 0). In China, HPV 58 prevalence rate was significantly higher in the Hunan region than in the Guangdong region (P = 0. 007). The mean ages at diagnosis was 44. 24 +/- 11. 31 years for Chinese and 53.08 +/- 16. 54 years for Australian women (P <0. 001). Combining the two groups, no relationship was found between HPV positivity/negativity and the FIGO stage, macroscopic features, histological type and grade of tumour, as well as pelvic lymphatic metastasis. However, HPV type wa significantly correlated with the histological type (P < 0. 001 ) and grade of cervical tumour (P = 0. 028). In comparison with the Chinese group, the Australian group presented more advanced cancers, a greater proportion of endocervical patterns, and more non-squamous cell carcinoma. There were no significant differences in grade of tumour and lymphatic node status between the two groups.
Conclusion: The HPV infection rate in cervical cancer patients is significantly higher among Australians than among Chinese, which may be caused by more sexual transmitted diseases and more sex partners among the former group. HPV 58 and HPV 59 tie for third common genotypes in cervical cancers in China, however, these types are uncommon in Australia. There was a significant variation in types of HPV infection among different histological type and grade of cervical tumors. Both HPV 18 and 59 appear to be associated with the malignancy of cervical cancer.