EPIDEMIOLOGY AND PARTIAL NUCLEOTIDE-SEQUENCE OF 4 NOVEL GENITAL HUMANPAPILLOMAVIRUSES

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based genital human papillomavirus (HP V) detection methods that use consensus primers have enabled the broad -spectrum detection of most characterized HPV types. In addition, thes e techniques have allowed the identification of potentially novel vira l sequences in clinical specimens. These methods were used to determin e the partial L1 nucleotide sequence (the region generated by L1 conse nsus primers MY09 and MY11) of four novel viruses. The prevalence of t hese viruses in cytologically normal and dysplastic cervical specimens and in invasive cervical cancer was also determined. The partial DNA sequences of W13B (MM4), PAP291 (MM7), PAP155 (MM8), and PAP238a (MM9) are most similar to HPV-51, -61, -61, and -34, respectively. Prevalen ce studies suggest that W13B and PAP238a are cancer-associated, while PAP155 and PAP291 appear to be lower-risk viruses.