Distribution and attribution of high-risk human papillomavirus genotypes in cervical precancerous lesions in China

While human papillomavirus vaccine was recently approved by China Food and Drug Administration, mapping of high-risk human papillomavirus distribution and attribution in cervical precancerous lesions in China becomes critical in development of a high-risk human papillomavirus-based cervical cancer screening and prevention strategy. In total, 1016 patients with cervical precancerous lesions diagnosed in the National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences were analyzed retrospectively, including 111 patients with low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions and 905 patients with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions. HPV16, 58, 52, 33, and 31 were the most common high-risk human papillomavirus genotypes in order of decreasing frequency among high-risk human papillomavirus-positive high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions; this differed from the high-risk human papillomavirus distribution in low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HPV16, 52, 39, 56, and 58). The distribution of high-risk human papillomavirus genotypes in single-type infections for high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HPV16, 58, 33, and 52) was similar to that in multiple-type infections (HPV16, 58, 52, and 33). By contrast, a more diverse distribution spectrum of high-risk human papillomavirus genotypes for low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions was observed between single-type (HPV16, 52, 39, and 56) and multiple-type infection (HPV52, 68, 58, 59, 39 and 56). A previously published method was adopted to calculate the fractional proportion of individual high-risk human papillomavirus genotypes in multiple infections. For this proportional attribution, HPV16 (48.9%), 58 (10.0%), 33 (5.5%), and 52 (5.5%) were the most frequent among all high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, whereas HPV16 (13.2%), 52 (11.6%), 39 (9.5%), and 56 (7.6%) were the most frequent among all low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions. Differences in high-risk human papillomavirus distribution and proportional attribution in different cervical pathology statuses (high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions) demonstrated the critical role of persistent infection of certain high-risk human papillomavirus such as HPV16, 58, 33, and 52 in carcinogenesis of cervical cancer. Distinctively high prevalence of HPV58, 33 and 52 in Chinese cervical intraepithelial neoplasia population, especially in high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, should be taken into consideration in cervical cancer screening strategy and vaccine development.