Background: Genital cancers in Uganda have been the most frequently diagnos
ed cancer in men as well as in women since the 1950s. Genetic studies have
detected HPV-16 variants of Af1 class and identified a new sub-class design
ated Af1-u. Objectives: The main goal of this study is to analyze the preva
lence of HPV strains and HPV variants in anogenital lesions of Ugandan male
and female subjects in order to possibly determine their role in the patho
genesis of such lesions and to develop an Ugandan preventive HPV vaccine pr
ogram. Study design: The study is planning to enroll male and female subjec
ts affected by genital lesions, in particular to collect 200 scrapes/biopsi
es from women with normal ectocervical epithelium as well as with all diffe
rent degrees of ectocervical lesions (from CIN 1/LSIL to cervical carcinoma
). All samples are analyzed by PCR amplification of the L1 conserved region
(nt 6584-7035) and the E6/E7 genes (nt 34-880), nucleotide sequence analys
is, homology and phylogenetic studies. Variant distribution studies will be
followed by serological studies of prevalence and incidence in 1000 women.
Preliminary Results and Conclusions: Penile cancers from the Kyadondo Coun
ty have been analyzed for the presence of HPV sequences. More recently 16 e
ctocervical scrapes and three biopsies have been received from women attend
ing the Nsambya Hospital and analyzed for the presence and type of HPVs. Ou
r results, obtained by PCR and sequencing analysis, allowed the identificat
ion of HPV-16 Af1 sequences in 100% of tumor tissue and in 6.25% of scrapes
. HPV 45 was identified only in one tumor together with HPV 16 infection. H
PV 33 and HPV 58 were present in 20% and 40%, respectively of HPV positive
benign samples. The results are showing a narrowing of the HPV pattern in m
ore advanced lesions, suggesting that mainly HPV-16 Af1 patients are progre
ssing to cancer. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.