Genetic diversity and phylogenetic analysis of HPV 16 & 18 variants isolated from cervical specimens of women in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Human papillomavirus (HPV) are well known to be associated with the development of cervical cancer. HPV16 and HPV 18 are known as high-risk types and reported to be predominantly associated with cervical cancer. The prevalence and genetic diversity of HPV have been well documented globally but, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, data on HPV genetic diversity are lacking. In this study, we have analyzed the genetic diversity of both HPV16 and HPV18 based on their L1 gene sequence because L1 gene is a major capsid protein gene and has been utilized to develop a prophylactic vaccine. In January 2011–2012, a total of forty samples from cervical specimens of women in Saudi Arabia were collected. The association of HPV16, HPV18 was detected by polymerase chain reaction, sequenced and submitted to GenBank. The sequences identity matrix and the phylogenetic relationship were analyzed with selected HPVs. The highest sequence identity (99.5%) for HPV16 and (99.3%) for HPV was observed with selected HPVs. The phylogenetic analysis results showed that HPVs from Saudi Arabia formed a closed cluster with African, Asian, East Asian as well as American HPVs distributed into multiple linages from various geographical locations. The results provided the valuable information about genetic diversity, but there is an urgent need to generate full genome sequence information which will provide a clearer picture of the genetic diversity and evolution of HPVs in Saudi Arabia. In conclusion, the generated data will be highly beneficial for developing molecular diagnostic tools, analyzing and correlating the epidemiological data to determine the risk of cervical cancer and finally to develop a vaccine for Saudi Arabian population.

Saudi Women’s Knowledge and Attitude toward Cervical Cancer Screening, Treatment, and Prevention: A Cross-Sectional Study in Qassim Region (2018-2019)

“…HPV Information Centre estimates that about 84 Saudi women out of 241 that diagnosed with cervical cancer are dying every year (Sait et al, 2018). There are many risk factors for developing cervical cancer, such as early age onset of sexual intercourse and smoking (Parkin et al, 2001).…”

“…The current awareness and attitude about cervical cancer among Saudi women in Qassim has not been previously studied. Also, multiple studies conducted in other regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) have revealed poor knowledge of females regarding cervical cancer and screening testing (Malibari, 2018;Sait et al, 2018). The objectives of this study were first to assess the knowledge of Saudi women in the Qassim region about cervical cancer risk factors, symptoms, and pap smear followed by determining their source of knowledge.…”

Fifteen new nucleotide substitutions in variants of human papillomavirus 18 in Korea

“…HPV genetic variants have been reported to differ in their viral assembly, pathogenic potential, and host immune response depending on geographic and ethnic features [2,[17][18][19][20]; however, no data on HPV18 variation among strains from Korean women have been reported thus far. Furthermore, there is some debate regarding the carcinogenic properties of HPV18 lineages [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24].…”

Knowledge, attitudes, and perception toward human papillomavirus among health profession students: A cross-sectional study in King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences

“…[ 13 14 ] Furthermore, there is a huge gap in the knowledge and practice for HPV and CC screening programs among the general masses within the Gulf States and the Kingdom. [ 6 15 16 17 18 19 20 ] There is also a lack of structured national screening programs, which adds to the insult. [ 8 11 21 ] Numerous factors determine the worldwide acceptance and uptake of the vaccine, most importantly including the knowledge, social factors, religious beliefs, cultural practices, and attitudes.…”

“…[ 8 11 21 ] Numerous factors determine the worldwide acceptance and uptake of the vaccine, most importantly including the knowledge, social factors, religious beliefs, cultural practices, and attitudes. [ 11 14 19 20 ]…”