Detecting Human Papillomavirus Type 16 in Cervical Cancer Patients with Molecular Variation of Gene L1 in Riau Province Indonesia

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is the second most deadly cancer in the world after breast cancer. The cancer is caused by infection of high risk Human Papillomavirus (HPV) type 16. It is often found in cervical cancer of which the genome structure is composed of L1 proteins. The L1 protein makes up the viral capsid that has an important role in causing the cervical epithelium. Several studies have found the differences in HPV nucleotides variants that lead to changes in amino acids that disrupt the structure, the natural function of the virus itself, and ultimately lead to changes in biological functions including host immunological recognition. Variation of the L1 gene also affects the effectiveness of existing vaccines. METHODS: This research was a descriptive study conducted at the laboratory of microbiology, the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Riau, Pekanbaru from February to August 2018. The study was aimed at looking at the molecular variations of the L1 HPV type 16 gene and examining phylogenic kinship. RESULTS: The SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism) which occurred in 26 sample isolates are the substitution of C/G (6240), A/G (6432), T/G (6686), C/T (6824). These variations also cause changes in amino acids, insertion of ATC nucleotide bases (6902), and deletions of GAT bases (6954). CONCLUSION: There are molecular variations of the L1 HPV type 16 gene which can cause different host immune responses. Phylogenic kinship of HPV type 16 isolate in Riau is similar to Asian-American isolate.