Human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes in an Australian sample of anal cancers

Abstract

Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes most cases of anal cancers. In this study, we analyzed biopsy material from 112 patients with anal cancers in Australia for the presence of HPV DNA by the INNO LiPA HPV genotyping assay. There were 82% (92) males and 18% (20) females. The mean age at diagnosis was significantly (p 5 0.006) younger for males (52.5 years) than females (66 years). HIV-infected males were diagnosed at a much earlier mean age (48.2 years) than HIV negative (56.3 years) males (p 5 0.05). HPV DNA was detected in 96.4% (108) of cases. HPV type 16 was the commonest, at 75% (81) of samples and being the sole genotype detected in 61% (66). Overall, 79% (85) of cases had at least one genotype targeted by the bivalent HPV (bHPV) vaccine, 90% (97) by the quadrivalent HPV (qHPV) vaccine and 96% (104) by the nonavalent HPV (nHPV) vaccine. The qHPV vaccine, which is now offered to all secondary school students in Australia, may prevent anal cancers in Australia. However, given the mean age of onset of this condition, the vaccine is unlikely to have a significant impact for several decades. Further research is necessary to prove additional protective effects of the nHPV vaccine.

A Composite Cytology–Histology Endpoint Allows a More Accurate Estimate of Anal High-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion Prevalence

“…Considering a large majority of anal cancers are caused by HPV16 (26), this suggests that the composite-AIN3 category more accurately represents true "anal precancer" than the composite AIN2 category, as is the case in the cervix (27). In a recent Australian study of 112 anal cancer samples analyzed for the presence of HPV DNA, 108 (96%) were HPV DNA positive and, of those, 81 (75%) were positive for HPV16 (28).…”

High-sensitivity human papilloma virus genotyping reveals near universal positivity in anal squamous cell carcinoma: Different implications for vaccine prevention and prognosis

“…Strengths include: (i) characterisation HPV genotypes using multivalent detection; (ii) a contemporaneous study of a UK clinical series that complements recent publications from Australia [5] and the wider world [31]; (iii) the novel exploration of HPV 16 E6 variants, as putative more aggressive oncogenic HPV subtypes; and (iv) a linkage of the laboratory findings to detailed clinical data to allow multivariate prognostic modelling.…”

“…In 2009, a metaanalysis of 29 studies [3], using mainly historical detection assays, reported an estimate for HPV positivity of 84.3%. Recently published data suggest that the overall HPV positivity rate might be as high as 95% [4,5].…”

Human papillomavirus antibody response following HAART initiation among MSM

“…naive or long-term HAART users) and the unavailability of a measure of HPV DNA, particularly from the anus, that prevented us from distinguishing seropositivity related to past or present infections. Although we had L1 serological assays for only eight of the 12 HPV types that have been designated as high-risk based on their carcinogenicity at the cervix, and only HPV16-E6, HPV16 is the only HPV type established as a cause of anal cancer [34], and is by far the predominantly detected type in large cases series of anal cancer [2,35], including those diagnosed among HIV-positive persons [36,37]. In addition, there is evidence for some cross-reactivity of HPV E6, but not L1, assay antigens, for antibodies of closely phylogenetically related types [13].…”