Differences in incidence and co‐occurrence of vaccine and nonvaccine human papillomavirus types in Finnish population before human papillomavirus mass vaccination suggest competitive advantage for HPV33

To understand likelihood of type replacement after vaccination against the high‐risk human papillomavirus (HPV) types, we evaluated competition of the seven most common genital HPV types in a population sample of unvaccinated, fertile‐aged Finnish women. First trimester sera from two consecutive pregnancies were retrieved from 3,183 Finnish women (mean age, 23.1 years) of whom 42.3% had antibodies to at least one HPV type (6/11/16/18/31/33/45) at the baseline. Antibody positivity to more than one HPV types by the second pregnancy was common among the baseline HPV seropositives. However, compared to baseline HPV‐seronegative women, significantly increased incidence rate ratios (IRRs), indicating an increased risk to seroconvert for another HPV type, were consistently noted only for HPV33 among baseline HPV16 or HPV18 antibody (ab)‐positive women: HPV_{16ab only → 16&33ab} IRR 2.9 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.6–5.4] and HPV_{18ab only → 18&33ab} IRR 2.5 (95% CI 1.1–6.0), irrespectively of the presence of antibodies to other HPV types at baseline: HPV_{16ab → 16&33ab} IRR 3.2 (95% CI 2.0–5.2) and HPV_{18ab → 18&33ab} IRR 3.6 (95% CI 2.1–5.9). Our findings suggest a possible competitive advantage for HPV33 over other genital HPV types in the unvaccinated population. HPV33 should be monitored for type replacement after HPV mass vaccination.     

Safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of quadrivalent human papillomavirus (types 6, 11, 16, 18) L1 virus-like-particle vaccine in Latin American women

The prevalence of HPV infection in Latin America is among the highest in the world. A quadrivalent (types 6/11/16/18) human papillomavirus L1 virus-like-particle vaccine has been shown to be 95-100% effective in preventing HPV 6/11/16/18-related cervical and genital disease in women naive to vaccine HPV types. A total of 6,004 female subjects aged 9-24 were recruited from Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Peru. Subjects were randomized to immunization with intramuscular (deltoid) injections of HPV vaccine or placebo at enrollment (day 1), month 2 and month 6. Among vaccinated subjects in the per-protocol population from Latin America, quadrivalent HPV vaccine was 92.8 and 100% effective in preventing cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and external genital lesions related to vaccine HPV types, respectively. These data support vaccination of adolescents and young adults in the region, which is expected to greatly reduce the burden of cervical and genital cancers, precancers and genital warts.     

Real-world effectiveness of HPV vaccination against cervical neoplasia among birth cohorts ineligible for routine vaccination

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine effectiveness may differ between settings. Here we present the first real-world effectiveness study of HPV vaccination on high-grade cervical lesions from Norway, among women who received HPV vaccine outside the routine program. We performed an observational study of all Norwegian women born 1975 to 1996 and retrieved individual data from nationwide registries on HPV vaccination status and incidence of histologically verified high-grade cervical neoplasia during 2006 to 2016. We estimated the incidence rate ratio (IRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for vaccination vs no vaccination by Poisson regression stratified by age at vaccination <20 years and ≥20 years. The cohort consisted of 832 732 women, of which 46 381 (5.6%) received at least one dose of HPV vaccine by the end of 2016. The incidence rate of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse (CIN2+) increased with age regardless of vaccination status and was highest at age 25 to 29, at 637/100 000 among unvaccinated women, 487/100 000 among women vaccinated before age 20 and 831/100 000 among women vaccinated at age 20 or older. The adjusted IRR of CIN2+ between vaccinated and unvaccinated women was 0.62 (95% CI: 0.46-0.84) for women vaccinated below age 20, and 1.22 (95% CI: 1.03-1.43) for women vaccinated at age 20 or older. These findings indicate that HPV vaccination among women too old to be eligible for routine HPV vaccination is effective among women who are vaccinated below age 20 but may not have the desired impact among women who are vaccinated at age 20 or older.     

A comprehensive natural history model of HPV infection and cervical cancer to estimate the clinical impact of a prophylactic HPV-16/18 vaccine

The object of our study is to project the impact of a prophylactic vaccine against persistent human papillomavirus (HPV)-16/18 infection on age-specific incidence of invasive cervical cancer. We developed a computer-based mathematical model of the natural history of cervical carcinogenesis to incorporate the underlying type-specific HPV distribution within precancerous lesions and invasive cancer. After defining plausible ranges for each parameter based on a comprehensive literature review, the model was calibrated to the best available population-based data. We projected the age-specific reduction in cervical cancer that would occur with a vaccine that reduced the probability of acquiring persistent infection with HPV 16/18, and explored the impact of alternative assumptions about vaccine efficacy and coverage, waning immunity and competing risks associated with non-16/18 HPV types in vaccinated women. The model predicted a peak age-specific cancer incidence of 90 per 100,000 in the 6th decade, a lifetime cancer risk of 3.7% and a reproducible representation of type-specific HPV within low and high-grade cervical precancerous lesions and cervical cancer. A vaccine that prevented 98% of persistent HPV 16/18 was associated with an approximate equivalent reduction in 16/18-associated cancer and a 51% reduction in total cervical cancer; the effect on total cancer was attenuated due to the competing risks associated with other oncogenic non-16/18 types. A vaccine that prevented 75% of persistent HPV 16/18 was associated with a 70% to 83% reduction in HPV-16/18 cancer cases. Similar effects were observed with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) although the impact of vaccination on the overall prevalence of HPV and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) was minimal. In conclusion, a prophylactic vaccine that prevents persistent HPV-16/18 infection can be expected to significantly reduce HPV-16/18-associated LSIL, HSIL and cervical cancer. The impact on overall prevalence of HPV or LSIL, however, may be minimal. Based on the relative importance of different parameters in the model, several priorities for future research were identified. These include a better understanding of the heterogeneity of vaccine response, the effect of type-specific vaccination on other HPV types and the degree to which vaccination effect persists over time.     

Quadrivalent HPV vaccine effectiveness against high‐grade cervical lesions by age at vaccination: A population‐based study

Human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16/18, included in HPV vaccines, contribute to the majority of cervical cancer, and a substantial proportion of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) grades 2/3 or worse (CIN2+/CIN3+) including adenocarcinoma in situ or worse. The aim of this study was to quantify the effect of quadrivalent HPV (qHPV) vaccination on incidence of CIN2+ and CIN3+. A nationwide cohort of girls and young women resident in Sweden 2006–2013 and aged 13–29 (n = 1,333,691) was followed for vaccination and histologically confirmed high‐grade cervical lesions. Data were collected using the Swedish nationwide healthcare registers. Poisson regression was used to calculate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and vaccine effectiveness [(1‐IRR)x100%] comparing fully vaccinated with unvaccinated individuals. IRRs were adjusted for attained age and parental education, and stratified on vaccination initiation age. Effectiveness against CIN2+ was 75% (IRR = 0.25, 95%CI = 0.18–0.35) for those initiating vaccination before age 17, and 46% (IRR = 0.54, 95%CI = 0.46–0.64) and 22% (IRR = 0.78, 95%CI = 0.65–0.93) for those initiating vaccination at ages 17–19, and at ages 20–29, respectively. Vaccine effectiveness against CIN3+ was similar to vaccine effectiveness against CIN2+. Results were robust for both women participating to the organized screening program and for women at prescreening ages. We show high effectiveness of qHPV vaccination on CIN2+ and CIN3+ lesions, with greater effectiveness observed in girls younger at vaccination initiation. Continued monitoring of impact of HPV vaccination in the population is needed in order to evaluate both long‐term vaccine effectiveness and to evaluate whether the vaccination program achieves anticipated effects in prevention of invasive cervical cancer.     

The levels of anti-HPV16/18 and anti-HPV31/33/35/45/52/58 antibodies among AS04-adjuvanted HPV16/18 vaccinated and non-vaccinated Ugandan girls aged 10–16 years

Background

Data on Human Papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine immune response in sub-Saharan Africa is still sparse yet such knowledge is critical for optimal implementation and monitoring of HPV vaccines. Our primary objective was to evaluate levels of anti-HPV-16/18 antibodies and six other ‘high risk’ HPV (hrHPV) types among the vaccinated and unvaccinated Ugandan girls.

Methods

We conducted a cross sectional study among AS04-adjuvanted HPV-16/18 vaccinated and unvaccinated school girls aged 10–16 years in Western Uganda using purposive sampling. The vaccinated girls were at 18 months post vaccination. After consenting and assenting, data was collected using interviewer administered questionnaires for demographics and sexual history. Blood was drawn from which serum samples were analysed by the multiplex HPV serology technology to determine anti-HPV antibody levels to HPV-16/18 and six other hrHPV types (31, 33, 35, 45, 52 and 58). The antibody levels were expressed as Median Fluorescent Intensity (MFI).A total of 207 vaccinated [mean age 13.1 years (SD 1.5); range 10-16 years] and 197 unvaccinated girls [mean age 13.6 years (SD 1.3); range 10-16 years] participated in the study. Sexual activity was self reported among 14/207 (6.8%) vaccinated and 5/197 (2.5%) unvaccinated girls. The MFI levels for HPV-16 and HPV-18 were 15 and 20 times higher respectively in the vaccinated girls than in the unvaccinated girls. HPV-16 mean MFI level was 4691(SD 1812; 95% CI: 4438-4958) among the vaccinated compared to 218 (SD 685; 95% CI: 190-252) among the unvaccinated girls. For HPV-18 the mean MFI level was 1615 (SD 1326; 95% CI: 1470-1776) among the vaccinated compared to MFI 103 (SD 506; 95% CI: 88 -121) among unvaccinated girls.In addition antibody levels to non vaccine hrHPV types (31, 33, 35, 45, 52 and 58) were all significantly higher in the vaccinated group than in the unvaccinated group (p<0.01).

Conclusion

The AS04-Adjuvanted HPV-16/18 vaccinated girls showed a higher level of antibodies to HPV-16/18 and other non-vaccine hrHPV types compared to the unvaccinated girls. This may translate into protection against HPV-16/18 and other hrHPV types.

     

Prevalence and type distribution of human papillomavirus in healthy Japanese women aged 20 to 25 years old enrolled in a clinical study

Efficacy, immunogenicity and tolerability of the human papillomavirus (HPV)-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine were evaluated in Japanese women aged 20-25 years, for which results have been reported previously. We analyzed the baseline data from that study and report the prevalence rates of HPV infection in young healthy Japanese women. One thousand and the forty Japanese women aged 20-25 years were enrolled in a phase II, double-blind, controlled, randomized, multicenter study. At study entry, cervical specimens were collected from the women and tested by line probe assay for 25 HPV-types and by HPV-16/18-specific polymerase chain reaction. The most frequently detected HPV-type in baseline cervical specimens was HPV-52 (8.1%), followed by HPV-16 (6.5%), HPV-51 (4.5%), HPV-18 (4.0%) and HPV-31 (3.8%). The proportion of HPV DNA-positive women increased with severity of cytological abnormalities: 26.1% (237/908) in normal cytology, 93.3% (70/75) in low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion and 100% (7/7) in high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion. The relative contribution of HPV-16 and HPV-18 was 4.1 and 3.0% for normal cytology cases, and 20.0 and 16.0% in low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, respectively. HPV-16 was found in four of seven high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion cases (57.1%) and five of the six cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2+ cases (83.3%). Multiple and single HPV infections were observed in 13.5% (140/1039) and 20.7% (215/1039) of all women, respectively. The HPV prevalence rates in Japanese women aged 20-25 years underline the importance of HPV vaccination at a young age and this report should be useful for monitoring changes in HPV prevalence after widespread HPV vaccination in Japanese women.     

What cervical screening is appropriate for women who have been vaccinated against high risk HPV? A simulation study

Women vaccinated against HPV16/18 are approaching the age for cervical screening; however, an updated screening algorithm has not been agreed. We use a microsimulation model calibrated to real published data to determine the appropriate screening intensity for vaccinated women. Natural histories in the absence of vaccination were simulated for 300,000 women using 10,000 sets of transition probabilities. Vaccination with (i) 100% efficacy against HPV16/18, (ii) 15% cross‐protection, (iii) 22% cross‐protection, (iv) waning vaccine efficacy and (v) 100% efficacy against HPV16/18/31/33/45/52/58 was added, as were a range of screening scenarios appropriate to the UK. To benchmark cost‐benefits of screening for vaccinated women, we evaluated the proportion of cancers prevented per additional screen (incremental benefit) of current cytology and likely HPV screening scenarios in unvaccinated women. Slightly more cancers are prevented through vaccination with no screening (70.3%, 95% CR: 65.1–75.5) than realistic compliance to the current UK screening programme in the absence of vaccination (64.3%, 95% CR: 61.3–66.8). In unvaccinated women, when switching to HPV primary testing, there is no loss in effectiveness when doubling the screening interval. Benchmarking supports screening scenarios with incremental benefits of ≥2.0%, and rejects scenarios with incremental benefits ≤0.9%. In HPV16/18‐vaccinated women, the incremental benefit of offering a third lifetime screen was at most 3.3% (95% CR: 2.2–4.5), with an incremental benefit of 1.3% (?0.3–2.8) for a fourth screen. For HPV16/18/31/33/45/52/58‐vaccinated women, two lifetime screens are supported. It is important to know women's vaccination status; in these simulations, HPV16/18‐vaccinated women require three lifetime screens, HPV16/18/31/33/45/52/58‐vaccinated women require two lifetime screens, yet unvaccinated women require seven lifetime screens.     

Efficacy of the human papillomavirus (HPV)-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine in women aged 15-25 years with and without serological evidence of previous exposure to HPV-16/18

In the Phase III PATRICIA study (NCT00122681), the human papillomavirus (HPV)‐16/18 AS04‐adjuvanted vaccine (Cervarix^®, GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals) was highly efficacious against HPV‐16/18 infections and precancerous lesions in women HPV‐16/18 deoxyribose nucleic acid (DNA) negative and seronegative at baseline. We present further data on vaccine efficacy (VE) against HPV‐16/18 in the total vaccinated cohort including women who may have been exposed to HPV‐16/18 infection before vaccination. In women with no evidence of current or previous HPV‐16/18 infection (DNA negative and seronegative), VE was 90.3% (96.1% confidence interval: 87.3–92.6) against 6‐month persistent infection (PI), 91.9% (84.6–96.2) against cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)1+ and 94.6% (86.3–98.4) against CIN2+ [97.7% (91.1–99.8) when using the HPV type assignment algorithm (TAA)]. In women HPV‐16/18 DNA negative but with serological evidence of previous HPV‐16/18 infection (seropositive), VE was 72.3% (53.0–84.5) against 6‐month PI, 67.2% (10.9–89.9) against CIN1+, and 68.8% (?28.3–95.0) against CIN2+ [88.5% (10.8–99.8) when using TAA]. In women with no evidence of current HPV‐16/18 infection (DNA negative), regardless of their baseline HPV‐16/18 serological status, VE was 88.7% (85.7–91.1) against 6‐month PI, 89.1% (81.6–94.0) against CIN1+ and 92.4% (84.0–97.0) against CIN2+ [97.0% (90.6–99.5) when using TAA]. In women who were DNA positive for one vaccine type, the vaccine was efficacious against the other vaccine type. The vaccine did not impact the outcome of HPV‐16/18 infections present at the time of vaccination. Vaccination was generally well tolerated regardless of the woman's HPV‐16/18 DNA or serological status at entry.     

Cross-Protective IgG and IgA Antibodies against Oncogenic and Non-Oncogenic HPV Genotypes

Objective: The aim of the study was to describe the course of IgG/IgA immune response in women immunized with bivalent vaccine and in women non-vaccinated with HPV infection, as well as evaluating the cross-protection against non-vaccine HPV types. Methods: Serum and cervical mucus samples were collected from infected and vaccinated women for HPV detection/genotyping and for detection of IgG/IgA anti-HPV/VLP (Virus-like Particles) by ELISA. Results: The median absorbance detected in serum samples for anti-HPV-IgG antibodies was higher in vaccinated women when compared to HPV infected women (p <0.01), however, the median absorbance in cervical mucus samples for anti-HPV-IgA was higher in infected women when compared to vaccinated women (p <0.01). Additionally, our analyses also provided additional evidence for cross-protective efficacy of the HPV-16/18 vaccine against HPV-82, -6, -11, -13, -61, -72 and -74. Conclusion: The IgG antibodies were significantly more detected in the serum of vaccinated women, while the IgA was found in greater quantities in cervical samples from those infected by the virus. In addition, there is evidence that the bivalent vaccine provides cross-protection against other non-oncogenic viral subtypes.     

Effectiveness of the AS04-adjuvanted HPV-16/18 vaccine in reducing oropharyngeal HPV infections in young females—Results from a community-randomized trial

We studied effectiveness of the AS04-adjuvanted HPV-16/18 (AS04-HPV-16/18) vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV) oropharyngeal infections associated with the increase of head/neck cancers in western countries. All 38,631 resident adolescents from 1994 to 1995 birth cohorts of 33 Finnish communities were invited in this community-randomized trial (NCT00534638). During 2008–2009, 11,275 girls and 6,129 boys were enrolled in three arms of 11 communities each. In Arm A, 90% of vaccinated girls/boys, and in Arm B, 90% of vaccinated girls received AS04-HPV-16/18 vaccine. Other Arm A/B and all Arm C vaccinated participants received control vaccine. All Arm A participants and Arm B female participants were blinded to vaccine allocation. Oropharyngeal samples were analyzed from 4,871 18.5-year-old females who attended follow-up visit 3–6 years postvaccination. HPV DNA prevalence was determined by SPF-10 LiPA and Multiplex type-specific PCR. Total vaccine effectiveness (VE) was defined as relative reduction of oropharyngeal HPV prevalence in pooled Arms A/B HPV-vaccinated females vs. all Arm C females. VE against oropharyngeal HPV-16/18, HPV-31/45 and HPV-31/33/45 infections were 82.4% (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 47.3–94.1), 75.3% (95%CI: 12.7–93.0) and 69.9% (95% CI: 29.6–87.1), respectively. In conclusion, the AS04-HPV-16/18 vaccine showed effectiveness against vaccine and nonvaccine HPV-types oropharyngeal infections in adolescent females up to 6 years postvaccination.     

Assessment of herd effects among women and heterosexual men after girls-only HPV16/18 vaccination in the Netherlands: A repeated cross-sectional study

Data on the impact of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination on the population HPV prevalence are largely obtained from women. We assessed the impact of the girls-only HPV16/18 vaccination program in the Netherlands that started in 2009, on trends in HPV prevalence among women and heterosexual men, using data from the PASSYON study. In this cross-sectional study, the HPV prevalence among 16- to 24-year-old visitors to sexually transmitted infection clinics was assessed in 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015. We compared the genital postvaccination HPV prevalence with the prevaccination prevalence (2009) using Poisson GEE models. In total, we included 4,996 women and 1,901 heterosexual men. The percentage of women who reported to be vaccinated increased from 2.3% in 2009 to 37% in 2015. Among all women, the HPV16/18 prevalence decreased from 23% prevaccination to 15% in 2015 (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] 0.62, p_trend < 0.01). Among heterosexual men, the HPV16/18 prevalence decreased from 17% prevaccination to 11% in 2015 (aPR 0.52, p_trend < 0.01). Of the heterosexual men with a steady partner, HPV16/18 prevalence was lower among those whose steady partner had been vaccine-eligible in the national immunization program (aPR 0.13). Among unvaccinated women, the HPV16/18 prevalence in 2015 was not different from prevaccination. The decreasing HPV16/18 prevalence among heterosexual men and the reduced HPV16/18 prevalence among heterosexual men with a vaccine-eligible steady partner strongly suggests herd protection from girls-only vaccination. Absence of notable herd effects among unvaccinated women 6 years postvaccination may be due to the moderate vaccine uptake among girls in the Netherlands.     

Geographic variations of human papilloma virus infection and their possible impact on the effectiveness of the vaccination programme

Greece is one of the first countries of the European Union to introduce a human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine in its national vaccination programme. Geographical variations in the prevalence of the different HPV types have been demonstrated. The aim of this preliminary case control study was to investigate HPV infection in women with low- and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs) from two different geographical areas of Greece; Central Greece and Crete. Seventy-five cervical specimens were collected from women with SILs from Crete and Central Greece. HPV detection and typing were performed by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques. HPV-18 was detected more frequently in Crete than in the Central Greece samples (29.7 vs 13.1%). HPV-16 was predominant in Central Greece (34.2%), while in Crete it was detected in 23% of the studied women. Non-16/-18 HPV types were detected in 45.9% of the women from Crete and 52.6% of the women from Central Greece. No relationship was observed between the geographical distribution of HPV and the presence of K-ras or B-raf point mutations in either group. Our pre-vaccination data indicate a high prevalence of HPV-18 in Crete. A trend for difference was observed in the rates of non-HPV-16/-18 women between the two areas. A large epidemiological study is required to investigate the prevalence of the different HPV types to further investigate the effectiveness of HPV vaccination in the Greek population.     

Impact of an HPV6/11/16/18 L1 virus-like particle vaccine on progression to cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in seropositive women with HPV16/18 infection

The impact of a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine on development of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2-3 or adenocarcinoma in situ (CIN2-3/AIS) in women with ongoing HPV16 or 18 infections prevaccination is reported. Seventeen thousand six-hundred and twenty-two women aged 16-26 were enrolled in 1 of 2 randomized, placebo-controlled, efficacy trials (Protocols 013 and 015). Vaccine or placebo was given at day 1, month 2 and 6. Women were tested for HPV6/11/16/18 DNA and antibodies at day 1. We focus on the subset of women who were seropositive and DNA positive to HPV16 or HPV18 prevaccination. Incidence is expressed as the number of women with an endpoint per 100 person-years-at-risk. In total, 419 vaccine and 446 placebo recipients were both seropositive and DNA positive to HPV16 or HPV18 prevaccination and had at least one follow-up visit. In Protocol 013, the incidence of HPV16/18-related CIN2-3/AIS among these women was 10.9 in the vaccine arm and 7.0 in the placebo arm (vaccine efficacy = -54.9; 95% CI: -181.7, 13.0). In Protocol 015, the incidence of HPV16/18-related CIN2-3/AIS was 5.5 in the vaccine arm and 6.2 in the placebo arm (vaccine efficacy = 12.2%; 95% CI: -29.8, 40.9). These data suggest HPV vaccination neither reduces nor enhances progression to HPV16/18-related high grade cervical lesions, and cervical cytology screening and corresponding management should continue as per local recommendations. Ultimately, population-based surveillance of vaccinated individuals beyond these clinical trials will be required to further address questions regarding the impact of vaccination in women exposed to vaccine HPV types before vaccination.     

The Prevalence and Genotype of Human Papillomavirus from atients with Genital Warts in Eastern Guangdong Province

Background: Low-risk human papillomavirus (LR-HPV) infection is the main cause of genital warts. LRHPVgenotypes 6 and 11 are associated with genital warts, but there have only been a few published studiesabout the genotype-specific prevalence of HPV in genital warts in China. The objective of our study was toassess the prevalence of HPV genotypes for clinical cases involving both men and women and to evaluate thepotential benefit of a quadrivalent (genotypes 6, 11, 16, and 18) HPV vaccine in eastern Guangdong provinceof China. Materials and Methods: A total of 696 eligible patients with genital warts were enrolled during theperiod Aug 2009 through Oct 2014. Specimens were collected from genital warts, the HPV GenoArray test wasused for HPV detection and genotyping, which could detect 21 HPV genotypes, including genotypes 6, 11, 16,and 18. Results: Among the 696 cases, 675 samples were successfully genotyped. The median age of patients was32.1 years (range, 16-67 years). The most prevalent genotypes were HPV-6 (285/675, 42.2%), HPV-11 (265/675,39.3%), HPV-52 (52/675, 7.7%), HPV-16 (51/675, 7.56%), HPV-81 (50/675, 7.40%) and HPV-58 (37/675, 5.48%).Low-risk genotypes predominated, with a prevalence of 96.59%. The cumulative prevalence of genotypes 6and 11 was 78.7% (531/675), the cumulative prevalence of genotypes 16 and 18 was 11.6% (78/675), and thecumulative prevalence of genotypes 6, 11, 16, and 18 was 82.5% (557/675). Conclusions: Our results providestrong evidence that, in eastern Guangdong, different from Western countries, the most prevalent low risk HPVgenotypes in patients with genital warts are 6, 11 and 81. The quadrivalent HPV vaccine could prevent 82.5%of genital warts in eastern Guangdong.     

Efficacy of quadrivalent human papillomavirus (types 6, 11, 16 and 18) vaccine (GARDASIL) in Japanese women aged 18–26 years

A randomized double‐blind placebo‐controlled phase II trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of a prophylactic quadrivalent vaccine targeting the human papillomavirus (HPV) types most frequently associated with cervical cancer (types 16/18) and genital warts (types 6/11) in Japanese women aged 18–26 years. Participants were randomly assigned to either quadrivalent HPV (types 6/11/16/18) L1 virus‐like particle vaccine (GARDASIL) (n = 509) or placebo (n = 512). Participants underwent regular gynecological examinations, cervicovaginal sampling for HPV DNA, testing for serum neutralizing antibodies to HPV and Papanicolau testing. The primary end‐point was the combined incidence of persistent infection with HPV types 6, 11, 16 or 18 and cervical or external genital disease (i.e. cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, cervical cancer or external genital lesions related to HPV 6, 11, 16 or 18. Primary analyses were done per protocol. Combined incidence of persistent infection or disease with HPV 6, 11, 16 or 18 fell by 87.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 59.2–97.6; P < 0.001), with HPV 6 or 11 by 73.1% (95% CI, ?1.1–97.3; P = 0.0756) and with HPV 16 or 18 by 94.5% (95% CI, 65.2–99.9; P < 0.001) in those assigned vaccine compared with those assigned placebo. The median duration of follow up after month 7 in subjects was 23 months. In addition, the vaccine was well tolerated in Japanese women aged 18–26 years. Quadrivalent HPV vaccine could significantly reduce the acquisition of infection and clinical disease caused by HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18.     

Human papillomavirus genotypes in women with invasive cervical cancer with and without human immunodeficiency virus infection in Botswana

Cervical cancer remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in women worldwide and is the leading cause of cancer-related death in Botswana. It is well established that women with HIV have a higher risk of persistent HPV infection leading to cervical cancer. We assessed HPV prevalence and genotype distribution in 126 tissue specimens from confirmed invasive cervical cancer cases using Abbott real-time PCR assay. Overall, 88 (69.8%) women were HIV-infected. Fifty-seven (64.8%) of the HIV-infected women had a baseline CD4⁺ count ≥350 cells/μl, and 82 (93.2%) were on antiretroviral therapy at the time of cervical cancer diagnosis. The median age of HIV-infected patients was significantly younger than that of HIV-uninfected patients (p < 0.001). HPV DNA was detected in all of 126 (100%) of tissues analyzed in our study. The HPV genotypes identified included the HPV-16 (75.4%), HPV-18 (28.6%) and other high-risk (hr) HPV genotypes (16.7%). HIV infection was positively associated with the presence of the HPV-16 genotype (p = 0.036), but not with HPV-18 or with other high-risk (hr)-HPV genotypes. Thirty-three percent of the patients had multiple hr-HPV genotypes, with higher rates in HIV-infected women. These results highlight the importance and potential impact of large-scale HPV vaccination programs covering HPV-16 and HPV-18 genotypes in countries like Botswana with high burden of HIV infection.     

Detection of High-risk Human Papillomavirus Types 16 and 18 but not 33 and 52 in External Genital Warts from Iranian Females

Background: External genital warts (EGW) are relatively common sexually transmitted diseases. In themajority of cases, low-risk human papilomaviruses (HPV), such as HPV-6 and HPV-11, are responsible but,high-risk types may also be detected and this has a bearing on vaccines for cervical cancer prevention. In thisstudy the incidence of the high-risk HPV types 16, 18, 33 and 52 in EGWs of females from the southwest of Iranwas assessed. Methods: Seventy-nine women with EGWs participated in this study. Quantitative real-time PCRwith gene specific primers and probes for the E6 gene of HPV-16, 18, 33 and 52, were used for the detection ofHPV DNA in the tissue and blood samples. Results: Of the 79 tissue specimens, 13 (16.5%) were HPV positive,only genetic materials of HPV-16 and HPV-18 being detected, twelve patients (15.2%) were positive only forHPV-18 and the coexistence of HPV-16 and HPV-18 was shown in one patient. Only one plasma sample showedevidence of HPV-16 with very low viral load. Conclusion: Our data showed that high-risk HPV types can befound in the tissue specimens of EGW samples obtained from female patients in the Southwest of Iran, withHPV-18 as the most abundant type; however, additional studies with a larger population are required to provethe finding and help to determine the most appropriate type of virus for vaccine design for Iranian women.     

Evaluation of HPV type‐replacement in unvaccinated and vaccinated adolescent females—Post‐hoc analysis of a community‐randomized clinical trial (II)

Efficacy of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines promises to control HPV infections. However, HPV vaccination programs may lay bare an ecological niche for non‐vaccine HPV types. We evaluated type‐replacement by HPV type and vaccination strategy in a community‐randomized trial executed in HPV vaccination naïve population. Thirty‐three communities were randomized to gender‐neutral vaccination with AS04‐adjuvanted HPV16/18 vaccine (Arm A), HPV vaccination of girls and hepatitis B‐virus (HBV) vaccination of boys (Arm B) and gender‐neutral HBV vaccination (Arm C). Resident 1992‐95 born boys (40,852) and girls (39,420) were invited. 11,662 boys and 20,513 girls were vaccinated with 20–30% and 45–48% coverage, respectively. HPV typing of 11,396 cervicovaginal samples was performed by high throughput PCR. Prevalence ratios (PR) between arms and ranked order of HPV types and odds ratio (OR) for having multiple HPV types in HPV16 or 18/45 positive individuals were calculated. The ranked order of HPV types did not significantly differ between arms or birth cohorts. For the non‐HPV vaccinated 1992–1993 birth cohorts increased PR, between the gender‐neutral intervention versus control arms for HPV39 (PR_A 1.84, 95% CI 1.12–3.02) and HPV51 (PR_A 1.56, 95% CI 1.11–2.19) were observed. In the gender‐neutral arm, increased clustering between HPV39 and the vaccine‐covered HPV types 16 or 18/45 (OR_A16 = 5.1, OR_A18/45 = 11.4) was observed in the non‐HPV vaccinated 1994–1995 birth cohorts. Comparable clustering was seen between HPV51 and HPV16 or HPV18/45 (OR_B16 = 4.7, OR_B18/45 = 4.3), in the girls‐only arm. In conclusion, definitively consistent postvaccination patterns of HPV type‐replacement were not observed. Future occurrence of HPV39 and HPV51 warrant investigation.     

Prior human papillomavirus‐16/18 AS04‐adjuvanted vaccination prevents recurrent high grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia after definitive surgical therapy: Post‐hoc analysis from a randomized controlled trial

We evaluated the efficacy of the human papillomavirus (HPV)?16/18 AS04‐adjuvanted vaccine in preventing HPV‐related disease after surgery for cervical lesions in a post‐hoc analysis of the PApilloma TRIal against Cancer In young Adults (PATRICIA; NCT00122681). Healthy women aged 15–25 years were randomized (1:1) to receive vaccine or control at months 0, 1 and 6 and followed for 4 years. Women were enrolled regardless of their baseline HPV DNA status, HPV‐16/18 serostatus, or cytology, but excluded if they had previous or planned colposcopy. The primary and secondary endpoints of PATRICIA have been reported previously; the present post‐hoc analysis evaluated efficacy in a subset of women who underwent an excisional procedure for cervical lesions after vaccination. The main outcome was the incidence of subsequent HPV‐related cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or greater (CIN2+) 60 days or more post‐surgery. Other outcomes included the incidence of HPV‐related CIN1+, and vulvar or vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN/VaIN) 60 days or more post‐surgery. Of the total vaccinated cohort of 18,644 women (vaccine = 9,319; control = 9,325), 454 (vaccine = 190, control = 264) underwent an excisional procedure during the trial. Efficacy 60 days or more post‐surgery for a first lesion, irrespective of HPV DNA results, was 88.2% (95% CI: 14.8, 99.7) against CIN2+ and 42.6% (?21.1, 74.1) against CIN1+. No VIN was reported and one woman in each group had VaIN2+ 60 days or more post‐surgery. Women who undergo surgical therapy for cervical lesions after vaccination with the HPV‐16/18 vaccine may continue to benefit from vaccination, with a reduced risk of developing subsequent CIN2+.