Ho, Ching Sze. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 142-160). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / DECLARATION --- p.I / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.II / ABSTRACT (ENGLISH VERSION) --- p.IV / ABSTRACT (CHINESE VERSION) --- p.VII / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.IX / LIST OF FUGURES --- p.XII / LIST OF TABLES --- p.XIII / LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS --- p.XV / Chapter CHAPTER 1: --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Biology of human papillomavirus --- p.2 / Chapter 1.1.1 --- History --- p.2 / Chapter 1.1.2 --- Classification --- p.3 / Chapter 1.1.3 --- Genome structure --- p.5 / Chapter 1.1.4 --- Life cycle --- p.9 / Chapter 1.2 --- Epidemiology of cervical cancer --- p.10 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer --- p.10 / Chapter 1.2.2 --- Spectrum of cervical neoplasia --- p.13 / Chapter 1.2.3 --- Incidence of cervical cancer --- p.15 / Chapter 1.2.4 --- Screening programme --- p.16 / Chapter 1.3 --- Risk factors for cervical cancer --- p.17 / Chapter 1.4 --- Oncogenic HPV infection --- p.20 / Chapter 1.4.1 --- Risk association --- p.21 / Chapter 1.4.2 --- Geographical distribution --- p.23 / Chapter 1.4.3 --- Age distribution --- p.24 / Chapter 1.4.4 --- Oncogenic property of HPV --- p.25 / Chapter 1.4.5 --- Sequence variation --- p.28 / Chapter 1.5 --- Prevention by vaccination --- p.30 / Chapter 1.6 --- Objectives --- p.31 / Chapter CHAPTER 2: --- MATERIALS AND METHODS --- p.33 / Chapter 2.1 --- HPV type and prevalence distribution --- p.34 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Study population --- p.34 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Specimen and epidemiological data collection --- p.34 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- DNA extraction --- p.35 / Chapter 2.1.4 --- PCR amplification of DNA --- p.36 / Chapter 2.1.4.1 --- PCR for Beta-globin --- p.36 / Chapter 2.1.4.2 --- PCR for HPV DNA --- p.37 / Chapter 2.1.5 --- HPV typing by reverse line-blot hybridization --- p.39 / Chapter 2.1.6 --- Statistical method --- p.40 / Chapter 2.2 --- HPV 52 SEQUENCE VARIATION --- p.43 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Study population --- p.43 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Specimen processing --- p.43 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- DNA extraction --- p.44 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- PCR amplification for sequencing --- p.45 / Chapter 2.2.4.1 --- Optimization of gene-specific PCR --- p.45 / Chapter 2.2.4.2 --- Validation of type-specificity of gene-specific PCR --- p.46 / Chapter 2.2.4.3 --- PCR for HPV52 E6 and E7 --- p.46 / Chapter 2.2.4.4 --- PCR for LI gene --- p.47 / Chapter 2.2.4.5 --- PCR for long control region (LCR) --- p.48 / Chapter 2.2.5 --- Purification of PCR products --- p.49 / Chapter 2.2.6 --- Sequencing --- p.50 / Chapter 2.2.6.1 --- Preparation of template --- p.50 / Chapter 2.2.6.2 --- Purification of template --- p.50 / Chapter 2.2.6.3 --- Sequencer and data analysis --- p.51 / Chapter 2.2.7 --- Statistical methods --- p.51 / Chapter CHAPTER 3: --- RESULTS --- p.54 / Chapter 3.1 --- HPV TYPE AND PREVALENCE DISTRIBUTION --- p.55 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- Study population --- p.55 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- HPV prevalence --- p.59 / Chapter 3.1.2.1 --- Prevalence for HPV infection --- p.59 / Chapter 3.1.2.2 --- HPV age-specific prevalence --- p.68 / Chapter 3.1.3 --- Epidemiological risk profile --- p.73 / Chapter 3.1.3.1 --- Age-adjusted analyses --- p.73 / Chapter 3.1.3.2 --- Multivariate analyses --- p.76 / Chapter 3.2 --- HPV52 SEQUENCE VARIATION --- p.79 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Study population --- p.79 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Sequence variability of HPV52 --- p.79 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- HPV52 --- p.82 / Chapter 3.2.3.1 --- Sequence variation of E6 ORF --- p.82 / Chapter 3.2.3.2. --- HPV52 E6 variants and risk for cervical neoplasia --- p.86 / Chapter 3.2.4 --- HPV52 E7 --- p.89 / Chapter 3.2.4.1 --- Sequence variation of E7 ORF --- p.89 / Chapter 3.2.4.2 --- HPV52 E7 variants and risk for cervical neoplasia --- p.93 / Chapter 3.2.5 --- HPV52 LI --- p.95 / Chapter 3.2.5.1 --- Sequence variation of LI ORF --- p.95 / Chapter 3.2.5.2 --- HPV52 LI variants and risk for cervical neoplasia --- p.100 / Chapter 3.2.6 --- HPV52 long control region (LCR) --- p.104 / Chapter 3.2.6.1 --- Sequence variation of LCR --- p.104 / Chapter 3.2.6.2 --- HPV52 LCR variants and risk for cervical neoplasia --- p.110 / Chapter CHAPTER 4: --- DISCUSSION --- p.113 / Chapter 4.1 --- HPV PREVALENCE AND TYPE DISTRIBUTION --- p.114 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- HPV prevalence --- p.114 / Chapter 4.1.2 --- Age-specific prevalence --- p.116 / Chapter 4.1.3 --- Epidemiological risk profile --- p.121 / Chapter 4.1.4 --- Conclusions --- p.126 / Chapter 4.2 --- HPV 52 SEQUENCE VARIATION --- p.127 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Sequence variability of HPV52 --- p.127 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Sequence variation of E6 gene --- p.129 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Sequence variation of E7 gene --- p.132 / Chapter 4.2.4 --- Sequence variation of LI gene --- p.134 / Chapter 4.2.5 --- Sequence variation of LCR --- p.135 / Chapter 4.2.6 --- Conclusions --- p.139 / Chapter 4.3 --- FURTHER STUDIES --- p.140 / REFERENCES --- p.142 / APPENDIXES --- p.A