Oral HPV detection and genotyping by next-generation sequencing in a healthy Palestinian cohort: pilot study.

ABSTRACT: Oral human papillomavirus (HPV) is a key contributor to oropharyngeal cancers. Yet, its prevalence and genotype distribution in healthy populations remain largely undocumented, particularly in Palestine, where no national screening or vaccination programs currently exist. This study is the first in Palestine to detect and genotype oral HPV in a healthy population using a highly sensitive molecular workflow. The assay employs a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and next-generation sequencing (NGS) strategy targeting the L1 gene, a highly conserved region that encodes the virus's main structural protein. Buccal swabs from 75 individuals attending dental clinics in the central region of the West Bank were analyzed, revealing an overall HPV positivity rate of 6.7% and identifying the geno

SUBMITTER: Safi B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12923876 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature