Molecular characterization of high-risk human papillomavirus genotypes involved in invasive cervical cancer from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues in Ouagadougou, Burkina faso

Background: Cervical cancer (CC) is a global public health issue. It is due to the persistence of infection by high-risk Human Papillomavirus (HR-HPV). Recently, Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest death rate caused by CC. The objective of this study was to detect HR-HPV genotypes involved in cases of invasive CC histologically confirmed in Ouagadougou. Methods: A total of 112 formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded-blocks of cervical tissue diagnosed in the department of pathological anatomy and cytology of the ‘Yalgado Ouédraogo’ University Hospital and archived between 2009 and 2015 were included in the study. Fourteen HR-HPV genotypes were tested for by multiplex-real-time-PCR within the invasive CC tissue blocks. Results: Of the fourteen genotypes tested for, eleven were identified. The prevalence of HR-HPV infection was 72.31% (47/65). The most common genotypes in invasive CC in Ouagadougou were: HPV18(25.71%), HPV31(15.71%), HPV39(12.86%), HPV16(12.86%), HPV45(12.86%), HPV35(7.14%) and HPV58(5.71%). Findings: In this study, HPV-18; 31; 39; 16 and 45 were the HR-HPV genotypes most involved in invasive CC in Ouagadougou. These genotypes identified are not all covered by the HPV vaccines available. There is therefore a need for making a mapping of all HPV circulating in the West African region for possible development of new HPV vaccines.