Molecular detection of human papillomavirus in cervical cancer patients

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a major etiological agent in cancers, especially cervical cancer. More than 96% of cervical cancer cases are positive for HPVs, especially high-risk types. The screening of HPV in cervical cancer patients will impact on the early diagnosis and prevention of the malignancy by a vaccine. Materials and Methods: The aim of the study is to detect HPV in Libyan cervical cancer patients aged between 34 and 80 years. The 38 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples of cervical cancer tumors were obtained from Misurata Cancer Center and Tripoli Medical Center. The DNA was extracted and used for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis to detect HPV using specific primers. The clinical data of patients were collected and correlated with the presence of HPV. Results: Our data showed that 71% (27/38) of studied cases were infected with HPV. The presence of the virus was detected mainly in both squamous cell carcinoma (73%) and adenocarcinoma (33%) patients diagnosed with Grade III of cervical cancer. Conclusion: The infection with HPV is high in Libyan cervical cancer patients. The PCR is a promising molecular technique to detect HPV in cervical cancer. The molecular screening of the virus will improve the early diagnostics of the disease and test the efficacy of its prevention plan in the Libyan population.