Intratypic LCR variants of HPV-33 seem to vary geographically and to differ with respect to their oncogenic potential.

The association between total and integrated HPV-33 DNA loads and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) of the uterine cervix was investigated. Of 5,347 women recruited in 4 studies, 89 (64 without SIL, 7 low-grade SIL (LSIL), 15 HSIL, 3 unknown grade) were infected by HPV-33. HPV-33 E6, HPV-33 E2 and b-globin DNA were measured with real-time PCR that allowed to assess total (E6), episomal (E2) and integrated (E6-E2) HPV-33 viral loads. HPV-33 E6/E2 ratios 2.0 suggesting the presence of integrated HPV-33 were obtained for 28.6% (n 5 18) of women without SIL and 21.4% (n 5 3) of women with HSIL (p 5 0.74). Although median viral loads were similar, there was a trend toward having a greater proportion of women with HSIL in the fourth quartile (