HPV-EM: an accurate HPV detection and genotyping EM algorithm

Sci Rep. 2020 Aug 31;10(1):14340. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-71300-7.

Abstract

Accurate HPV genotyping is crucial in facilitating epidemiology studies, vaccine trials, and HPV-related cancer research. Contemporary HPV genotyping assays only detect < 25% of all known HPV genotypes and are not accurate for low-risk or mixed HPV genotypes. Current genomic HPV genotyping algorithms use a simple read-alignment and filtering strategy that has difficulty handling repeats and homology sequences. Therefore, we have developed an optimized expectation-maximization algorithm, designated HPV-EM, to address the ambiguities caused by repetitive sequencing reads. HPV-EM achieved 97-100% accuracy when benchmarked using cell line data and TCGA cervical cancer data. We also validated HPV-EM using DNA tiling data on an institutional cervical cancer cohort (96.5% accuracy). Using HPV-EM, we demonstrated HPV genotypic differences in recurrence and patient outcomes in cervical and head and neck cancers.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms*
  • Alphapapillomavirus / genetics*
  • Female
  • Genes, Viral*
  • Genotype*
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / virology
  • Humans
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / virology