Epidemiology and Molecular Biology of HPV Variants in Cervical Cancer: The State of the Art in Mexico

Abstract

Cervical cancer (CC) continues to be a major public health problem in Mexico, ranking second among cancers in women. A persistent infection with human papillomaviruses (HPV) is the main risk factor for CC development. In addition, a significant fraction of other cancers including those of the anus, oropharynx, and penis are also related to HPV infection. In CC, HPV-16 is the most prevalent high-risk HPV type, followed by HPV-18, both being responsible for 70% of cases. HPV intratype variant lineages differ in nucleotide sequences by 1–10%, while sublineages differ by 0.5–1%. Several studies have postulated that the nucleotide changes that occur between HPV intratype variants are reflected in functional differences and in pathogenicity. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that HPV-16 and -18 intratype variants differentially affect molecular processes in infected cells, changing their biological behavior that finally impacts in the clinical outcome of patients. Mexico has participated in providing knowledge on the geographical distribution of intratype variants of the most prevalent HPVs in premalignant lesions of the cervix and cervical cancer, as well as in other HPV-related tumors. In addition, functional studies have been carried out to assess the cellular effects of intratype variations in HPV proteins. This review addresses the state of the art on the epidemiology of HPV-16 and HPV-18 intratype variants in the Mexican population, as well as their association with persistence, precancer and cervical cancer, and functional aspects related to their biological behavior.

Human Papillomavirus Molecular Prevalence in South China and the Impact on Vaginal Microbiome

“…But there was one case of lr-HPV infection also associated with HSIL. Furthermore, HPV16 accounted for the largest proportion of HSIL and SCC patients, which is also consistent with previous studies 1,5,31 .…”

Hijacking and rewiring of host CircRNA/miRNA/mRNA competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory networks by oncoviruses during development of viral cancers

“…66,67 The number of women diagnosed with cervical cancer worldwide reaches 600,000 yearly, and over 300,000 lose their lives to this disease. [68][69][70] Data from the scientific literature indicate a strong connection between persistent high-risk HPV infections and the development of cervical cancer. 71 Zur Hausen et al…”

“…Cervical cancer continues to be the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer among women, with substantial geographical variations in mortality rates 66,67 . The number of women diagnosed with cervical cancer worldwide reaches 600,000 yearly, and over 300,000 lose their lives to this disease 68–70 . Data from the scientific literature indicate a strong connection between persistent high‐risk HPV infections and the development of cervical cancer 71 .…”

National Burden and Trends for 29 Groups of Cancer in Mexico from 1990 to 2019: A Secondary Analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

“…Therefore, understanding the local cancer epidemiology is crucial for informing cancer control efforts, including prioritizing resource allocation, implementing public health policies, and improving health system planning [ 6 ]. Previous studies in Mexico have described the specific burden of certain cancer groups at both national and state levels [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]. Furthermore, various studies have evaluated the national burden of cancer, encompassing multiple groups of malignant neoplasms from 1970 to 2015 [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ].…”