HLA Class II alleles and association with HPV Infection prevalence in high-risk HPV-positive Han women in southern China.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence of different human papillomavirus (HPV) subtypes and their association with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II alleles in China.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 16,168 married Chinese women in Maoming City of Guangdong province were tested for high-risk HPV infection. High-resolution typing of HLA-DRB1/DQB1 alleles was also performed on samples found to be infected with HPV.

RESULTS

All in all, HPV-52, -58, -16, -18, and -53 were the five most common subtypes of HPV, with an incidence of high-risk HPV infection of 7.14%. Among women at high-risk of HPV infection, -DRB10403 (3.12% vs. 1.67%, odds ratio [OR] 1.894), -DQB10602 (3.74% vs. 1.82%, OR 2.094), and -DQB10609 (2.02% vs. 0.91%, OR 2.249) frequencies were higher than in controls. In contrast, -DQB10402 (0.31% vs. 1.29%, OR 0.239) in women with high-risk HPV infection exhibited a significantly decreased frequency compared to the controls.

CONCLUSION

Our results strongly support previous findings from other populations that -DRB10403 and -DQB10602 may be risk factors for HPV infection and subsequent development of cervical cancer. Moreover, unlike the European population, -DQB1*0402 may protect rather than render Maoming women susceptible to HPV infection.