HPV infection and cervical cancer: the intersection of epidemiology, molecular biology, and testing methods
| Author(s) | Dom-Chima, Ngozi | |
| Date Accessioned | 2023-08-21T23:15:56Z | |
| Date Available | 2023-08-21T23:15:56Z | |
| Publication Date | 2023 | |
| SWORD Update | 2023-06-26T19:08:20Z | |
| Abstract | Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most common Sexually Transmitted infection (STI) observed in sites like the lower genital tract. HPV infections are caused by HPV types classified into low-risk HPV, which causes anogenital warts and benign epithelial lesions, while high-risk HPV can cause cancer like cervical cancer. HPV types are commonly detected and typed by hybrid capture, microarray, and PCR method. However, these methods can have limitations, including being sensitive to multiple infections, misidentification, and the inability to identify HPV types and new variants, subtypes, or mutations. These limitations are major barriers to complete and unbiased HPV detection and typing and have led to global HPV prevalence being underestimated and distribution misestimated. ☐ The prevalence and distribution of HPV types can be geographically or ethnically specific. In sub–Saharan Africa, there is a limited comprehensive research on the variability and distribution of HPV types, which are impacted by the HPV detection and typing methods used. However, NGS's high sensitivity and specificity will have an unbiased HPV detection and typing. The results were further validated by ts-PCR, which will characterize HPV types and prevalence in unvaccinated Nigerian women. For comparative analysis, we reviewed reports of the prevalent HPV types in sub-Saharan west African countries surrounding Nigeria. Also, we evaluated the behavioral and demographic risk factors for exposure to HPV infection and cervical cancer development among Nigerian women. Additionally, we examined the HPV DNA LCR prevalent HPV types found in the population to know if they contain any genomic nucleotide variation that is characteristic/not of their epidemiological classification and evolutionary pattern of the HPV types. ☐ Our findings indicate that HPV types 71, 82, and 16 as the top three prevalent HPV types and are unique to Nigeria. We effectively established that there is geographical specificity of HPV types in the countries close to Nigeria, where they share similarities and differences unique to their country. Also, we showed that certain behavioral and demographic risk factors influence the odds of exposure to HPV infection with certain risk types and multiple infections in women. Finally, we showed that nucleotide variation (NV) is characteristic of cancer-causing HPV type, and molecular re-classification is needed. ☐ Conclusively, we identified prevalent HPV types in unvaccinated Nigerian women using NGS and PCR. We elucidated the impact of geographical-specific HPV prevalence on vaccine policy. We assessed the behavioral or demographic risk factors for exposure to HPV infection and cervical cancer development in the Nigerian cohort. We validated the need for classifying HPV types into low-risk and high-risk groups based on functional molecular studies to predict the risk for cancer-causing HPV types. | |
| Advisor | Biswas, Subhasis | |
| Advisor | Biswas-Fiss, Esther | |
| Degree | Ph.D. | |
| Department | University of Delaware, Department of Medical and Molecular Sciences | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.58088/vnwn-bd98 | |
| Unique Identifier | 1395010571 | |
| URL | https://udspace.udel.edu/handle/19716/33219 | |
| Language | en | |
| Publisher | University of Delaware | |
| URI | https://login.udel.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/hpv-infection-cervical-cancer-intersection/docview/2832998866/se-2?accountid=10457 | |
| Keywords | Human Papillomavirus | |
| Keywords | Molecular techniques | |
| Keywords | Nigeria | |
| Keywords | Sexually Transmitted infection | |
| Keywords | Women's health | |
| Keywords | Nucleotide variation | |
| Title | HPV infection and cervical cancer: the intersection of epidemiology, molecular biology, and testing methods | |
| Type | Thesis |