Human papillomavirus genotype distribution and cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions among high-risk women with and without HIV-1 infection in Burkina Faso

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs) were studied in 379 high-risk women. Human papillomavirus DNA was detected in 238 of 360 (66.1%) of the beta-globin-positive cervical samples, and 467 HPV isolates belonging to 35 types were identified. Multiple (2-7 types) HPV infections were observed in 52.9% of HPV-infected women. The most prevalent HPV types were HPV-52 (14.7%), HPV-35 (9.4%), HPV-58 (9.4%), HPV-51 (8.6%), HPV-16 (7.8%), HPV-31 (7.5%), HPV-53 (6.7%), and HPV-18 (6.4%). Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) seroprevalence was 36.0%. Human papillomavirus prevalence was significantly higher in HIV-1-infected women (87 vs 54%, prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.61, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.4-1.8). High-risk HPV types (71 vs 40%, PR = 1.79, 95% CI: 1.5-2.2), in particular HPV-16+18 (22 vs 9%, PR = 2.35, 95% CI: 1.4-4.0), and multiple HPV infections (56 vs 23%, PR = 2.45, 95% CI: 1.8-3.3) were more prevalent in HIV-1-infected women. High-grade SIL (HSIL) was identified in 3.8% of the women. Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection was strongly associated with presence of HSIL (adjusted odds ratio = 17.0; 95% CI 2.2-134.1, P = 0.007) after controlling for high-risk HPV infection and other risk factors for HSIL. Nine of 14 (63%) HSIL cases were associated with HPV-16 or HPV-18 infection, and might have been prevented by an effective HPV-16/18 vaccine.     

Occurrence of vaccine and non-vaccine human papillomavirus types in adolescent Finnish females 4 years post-vaccination

Control of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers by inclusion of HPV vaccination into national vaccination programmes is likely. One open question is replacement of the vaccine types with other high-risk (hr) HPV types in the vaccination era. We studied occurrence of HPV types in adolescent females participating in a population-based vaccination trial. A total of 4,808 16- to 17-year-old females from Finland were enrolled in the 1:1 randomized phase III (PATRICIA) trial of the efficacy of vaccination with the AS04-adjuvanted HPV-16/18 virus-like particle vaccine as compared to hepatitis A virus (HAV) vaccine. HPV infection was assessed from cervical samples taken every 6 months for 4 years post-vaccination by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for genital oncogenic HPV types 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 58, 59, 66, 68, and 73 as well as low-risk types HPV-6 and HPV-11. The HPV-16/18 vaccine coverage ranged between 1 and 22% by age-cohort and study community. Odds ratios (ORs) for infections with different HPV types in baseline PCR negative HPV-16/18 vs. HAV vaccinated women, and Poisson regression derived HPV incidence rate ratios (IRRs) in baseline positive vs. negative women were calculated. The OR and IRR estimates for acquisition of any genital HPV types showed no excess risk neither in baseline HPV DNA-negative HPV-16/18-vaccinated women compared to baseline HPV DNA-negative HAV vaccinated women nor in HPV-16/18-vaccinated baseline HPV-16/18-positive women compared to baseline HPV-16/18-negative women. In the HAV-vaccinated, baseline HPV-18-positive women showed an increased risk of acquiring other clade A7 HPV types (39, 45, 59, 68) (IRR 1.8, 95% confidence interval = 1.01.-3.1). We found no increased occurrence of non-vaccine HPV types suggestive of type-replacement 1–4 years post-vaccination among HPV-16/18-vaccinated Finnish adolescents.     

Prevalence of Human Papillomavirus Genotypes in Women from Cozumel,Mexico

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) subtypes 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59 and 68 have beenimplicated in the development of cervical cancer (CC). These 13 high risk HPV types have been shown to be presentin up to 99.7% of CC samples. In Mexico, this cancer is the leading cause of death from malignancy among women.The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of different HPV genotypes and investigate epidemiological aspectsassociated with HPV infection in women from Cozumel. Material and methods: We performed an epidemiological,prospective and cross sectional study with 1,187 who accepted participation in a campaign of screening for CC, duringthe period 2014 to 2015. Data on epidemiological and socio-economic variables were obtained. Cervical cells werecollected for detection of HPV DNA and typing of HPV-positive samples by Multiplex PCR, using a commercialkit for 16 viral genotypes. Results: The overall prevalence of HPV in women from Cozumel was 15.8 % (188/1,187),either single (13.6%) or multiple (2.19 %). The most common HPV types , in descending order of frequency, were 58(24.5 %), 59 (13.3 %), 39 (12.2 %) and 66 (9.6 %). The most frequent high risk types were HPV-58 and -59 and of lowrisk HPV types the most common was HPV-6. Number of sexual partners (OR=4.78; 95% CI= 2.73-8.37; P=<0.0001)and age of first coitus (OR=0.51; 95% CI=0.32-0.81; P=<0.0011) were significantly associated with HPV infection.Conclusions: Our data indicate that the overall incidence of high risk HPV infection in Cozumel is low as compared toother studies worldwide, with a different profile of subtypes. However, as expected, risky sexual behavior was foundassociated with positive cases of HPV. These results highlight the need for establish strategies to prevent HPV acquisitionand evaluate the impact of a vaccine application in the Cozumel population.     

Human papillomavirus and long-term oral contraceptive use increase the risk of adenocarcinoma in situ of the cervix.

We examined United States Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results incidence data and conducted a population-based case-control study to examine the role of human papillomavirus (HPV) and oral contraceptive (OC) use in the etiology of adenocarcinoma in situ of the cervix (ACIS). One hundred and fifty women diagnosed with ACIS and 651 randomly selected control women completed in-person interviews. The presence of HPV DNA in archival ACIS specimens was determined by E6 and L1 consensus PCR. Serum samples from case and control subjects were collected at interview, and antibodies to HPV-16 L1 and HPV-18 L1 were detected by virus-like particle capture assays. The overall prevalence of HPV DNA was 86.6%, with 39.0% positive for HPV-16 DNA, 52.4% positive for HPV-18 DNA, and 13.4% positive for more than one HPV type. The age-adjusted relative risk of ACIS associated with HPV-18 seropositivity was 3.3 (95% confidence interval 2.2-4.9). No increased risk was associated with antibodies to HPV-16 L1. Among women born after 1945, the relative risk increased with duration of OC use, with the highest risk for 12 or more years of use (odds ratio, 5.5; 95% confidence interval, 2.1-14.6) relative to nonusers. The detection of HPV DNA in 86.6% of ACIS and the strong association of ACIS with HPV-18 L1 seropositivity underscore the importance of HPV, particularly HPV-18, in the etiology of ACIS. In addition, long-term OC use may contribute to the pathogenesis of these tumors in some women.     

Seroreactivity to human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16, 18, or 31 and risk of subsequent HPV infection: results from a population-based study in Costa Rica.

Whether antibodies to human papillomavirus (HPV) capsids, elicited by natural infection, are protective is unknown. This question was addressed in a population-based cohort of 7046 women in Costa Rica by examining the association between baseline seroreactivity to HPV-16, HPV-18, or HPV-31 virus-like particles and the risk of subsequent HPV infection at a follow-up visit 5-7 years after enrollment. Seropositivity to HPV-16, HPV-18, or HPV-31 was not associated with a statistically significant decreased risk of infection with the homologous HPV type [relative risk (RR) and [95% confidence interval (CI)], 0.74 (0.45-1.2), 1.5 (0.83-2.7), and 0.94 (0.48-1.8), respectively]. Seropositivity to HPV-16 or HPV-31 was not associated with a decreased risk of infection with HPV-16 or its genetically related types [RR (95% CI), 0.82 (0.61-1.1) and 0.93 (0.68-1.2), respectively]. Seropositivity to HPV-18 was not associated with a decreased risk of infection with HPV-18 or its genetically related types (RR 1.3; 95% CI 1.0-1.8). Thus, we did not observe immunity, although a protective effect from natural infection cannot be excluded because of the limits of available assays and study designs.     

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.     

Human papillomavirus, smoking, and sexual practices in the etiology of anal cancer

BACKGROUND: The incidence of anal cancer has increased among both men (160%) and women (78%) from 1973 to 2000 in the U.S. The authors conducted a population-based case-control study of anal cancer to examine factors that may account for this increase. METHODS: Men (n = 119 patients) and women (n = 187 patients) who were diagnosed with anal cancer between 1986 and 1998 in the Seattle area were ascertained through the local Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry. Control participants (n = 1700) were ascertained through random-digit telephone dialing. Participants were interviewed in person and provided blood samples. Archival tumor tissue was tested for human papilloma virus (HPV) DNA, and serum samples were tested for HPV type 16 (HPV-16). RESULTS: Overall, 88% of tumors (all histologies) in the study were found to be positive for HPV. HPV-16 was the most frequent HPV type detected (73% of all tumors), followed by HPV-18 (6.9%), regardless of gender. However, 97.7% of tumors from men who were not exclusively heterosexual contained HPV DNA. The risk of anal cancer increased among men (odds ratio [OR], 5.3; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 2.4-12.0) and women (OR, 11.0; 95% CI, 5.5-22.1) who had > or = 15 sexual partners during their lifetime. Among men who were not exclusively heterosexual and women, receptive anal intercourse was related strongly to the risk of anal cancer (OR, 6.8 [95% CI, 1.4-33.8] and OR, 2.2 [95% CI, 1.4-3.3], respectively). Current smokers among men and women were at particularly high risk for anal cancer, independent of age and other risk factors (OR, 3.9 [95% CI, 1.9-8.0] and OR, 3.8 [95% CI, 2.4-6.2], respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The high proportion of tumors with detectable HPV suggests that infection with HPV is a necessary cause of anal cancer, similar to that of cervical cancer. Increases in the prevalence of exposures, such as cigarette smoking, anal intercourse, HPV infection, and the number of lifetime sexual partners, may account for the increasing incidence of anal cancer in men and women.     

Human papillomavirus types 16 and 18 in epithelial dysplasia of oral cavity and oropharynx: a meta-analysis, 1985-2010

Human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18 are causally related to a sub-set of oral cavity and oropharyngeal squamous cell cancers. However, a clear estimate of the prevalence of HPV-16/18 in oral cavity and oropharyngeal dysplasia (OOPD) is not available. This literature review and meta-analysis was conducted to provide a prevalence estimate for HPV-16/18 in OOPD. Twenty-two studies that reported prevalence of HPV-16 and/or 18 in 458 OOPD lesions were analyzed. Meta-analysis was used to evaluate the prevalence of HPV-16/18 and logistic regression was used for stratified analysis by age, gender, and histological grade. The overall prevalence of HPV-16/18 in OOPD lesions was 24.5% [95% confidence interval (CI), 16.4–36.7%)]. The individual prevalence for HPV-16 alone was 24.4%. The prevalence of HPV-16/18 in oral cavity lesions alone was 25.3% (95% CI, 14.2–45.2%). The odds of detection of HPV-16/18 in dysplastic lesions in males were twice that of females [odds ratio (OR), 2.44]. HPV-16/18 were 3 times more common in dysplastic lesions (OR, 3.29; 95% CI, 1.95–5.53%) and invasive cancers (OR, 3.43; 95% CI, 2.07–5.69%), when compared to normal biopsies. There was no significant difference in HPV-16/18 rates between dysplastic lesions and cancers or between mild, moderate or severe dysplastic lesions. This meta-analysis provides a quantification of the prevalence of HPV types 16/18 in OOPD lesions. These results also support the assumption that HPV-16/18 infection occurs during the early phase of the oral cavity and oropharyngeal carcinogenesis.     

High-risk and multiple human papillomavirus infections associated with cervical abnormalities in Japanese women.

To estimate the risk of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection for cervical malignancies, we conducted a case-control study in Japan. Abnormal cervical cell (366) and normal cell samples (1562) were tested for the presence of HPV DNA using a new PCR-based test (LCR-E7 PCR). When single HPV infections were considered, 26 different HPV types were identified in normal cervices and in low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL); whereas HPV-16, -18, -31, -33, -35, -45, -51, -52, -56, -58 and -67 were detected in high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) and in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the cervix, and HPV-16 and -18 were detected in cervical adenocarcinoma. HPV-6 and -11 were detected in condyloma acuminatum tissue. In HSIL and SCC, HPV-16 was the most prevalent type and HPV-51, -52, and -58 were the next most prevalent; whereas HPV-39, -59, and -68 were not detected. Analysis by odds ratio (OR) revealed that HPV-11, -39, -42, -44, -53, -59, -62, and -66 (HPV-66: OR,139; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 6.7-168) were associated with LSIL; HPV-16, -18, -31, -51, -52 and -58 (HPV-16: OR, 69; 95%CI = 36-131) were associated with SCC; and HPV-16 and -18 (OR, 94; 95% CI = 28-317) were associated with adenocarcinoma. Multiple HPV infection was associated with LSIL (OR, 24; 95%CI = 13-44), HSIL (OR, 16; 95%CI = 8.4-32), and SCC (OR, 8.3; 95%CI = 3.2-22), although the prevalence decreased with the grade of the lesions. All results suggest that HPV-6 and -11 are condyloma types, HPV-16, -18, -31, -51, -52, -58, and perhaps -33, -35, -45, -56, and -67, are the high-risk HPV types, and many other types are LSIL-associated types in Japan. HPV typing and detection of multiple HPV infections in clinical samples may be useful as surrogate markers for cervical cell abnormalities.     

Human papillomaviruses and cancer in Uganda.

In a case-control study in Uganda, we examined associations between different cancer sites or types in relation to antibodies against human papillomaviruses (HPV)-16, -18 and -45. For each cancer site or type, the control group comprised all other cancers excluding those known, or thought to be associated with HPV infection (cancers of the uterine cervix, penis and eye). Among controls the seroprevalence of antibodies was 11% (68/616) against HPV-16, 5% (29/605) against HPV-18 and 6% (35/605) against HPV-45. Antibodies against HPV-16 were significantly associated with only two cancers: uterine cervix [prevalence of antibodies 27% (51/191); odds ratio (OR) 2.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-3.1, P=0.01] and penis [prevalence of antibodies 27% (4/15); OR 6.4, 95% CI 1.7-24.3, P=0.01]. For both cancers, the risk increased with increasing anti-HPV-16 antibody titre (Ptrend=0.01 for each). No cancer site or type was significantly associated with antibodies against HPV-18 and -45.     

Human papillomavirus infection and reinfection in adult women: the role of sexual activity and natural immunity

There is a paucity of data on whether or not women can be reinfected with human papillomavirus (HPV) types to which they were exposed to earlier in life and on the role of natural immunity. The observation of HPV infection at older ages may be explained by the reactivation of a latent infection or new exposure from sexual activity. Our objective was to analyze the association between reinfection and sexual activity. We analyzed data from 2,462 women enrolled in the Ludwig-McGill cohort and followed every 4 to 6 months for up to 10 years. We performed HPV typing and viral load measurements via PCR and determined HPV-16 seroreactivity at enrollment. Incidence of infection and reinfection were estimated for individual types. Adjusted relative risks (RR) for the association between infection/reinfection and new sexual partners were calculated using Cox regression. Rates of initial infection and reinfection postclearance were statistically comparable. RRs of initial infection or reinfection were consistently associated with new sexual partners [2.4 (95% confidence intervals; 95% CI, 2.0-3.1) for first infection, 3.7 (1.1-13.8) for reinfection with the same type, and 2.3 (1.5-3.7) for reinfection with a different type]. Reinfection in older women was also associated with new sexual partners (RR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.4-5.3) as were new infections with HPV-16 among women with serologic evidence of prior HPV-16 exposure (RR, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.6-5.3). Viral loads at initial infection and at reinfection were comparable. HPV infection and reinfection were strongly associated with sexual activity. This study suggests that natural immunity does not play a role in controlling the extent of reinfections.     

The natural history of type-specific human papillomavirus infections in female university students.

Little is known about the average duration of type-specific human papillomavirus (HPV) infections and their patterns of persistence. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the rate of acquisition and clearance of specific HPV types in young women. Female university students (n = 621) in Montreal were followed for 24 months at 6-month intervals. At each visit, a cervical specimen was collected. HPV DNA was detected using the MY09/MY11 PCR protocol followed by typing for 27 HPV genotypes by a line blot assay. The Kaplan-Meier technique was used to estimate the cumulative probability of acquiring or clearing a HPV infection considering types individually or in high-risk (HR) or low-risk (LR) groups defined by oncogenic potential. Incidence rates were 14.0 cases/1000 women-months (95% confidence interval, 11.4-16.3) and 12.4 cases/1000 women-months (95% confidence interval, 10.4-14.8) for acquiring HR and LR HPV infections, respectively. The 24-month cumulative rates of acquisition were highest for HPV-16 (12%), HPV-51, and HPV-84 (8%). Of the incident infections, HPV-16 was the most persistent (mean duration, 18.3 months), followed by HPV-31 and HPV-53 (14.6 and 14.8 months, respectively). HPV-6 and HPV-84 had the shortest mean duration time (<10 months) The mean durations of incident, same-type LR or HR HPV infections were 13.4 months and 16.3 months, respectively. Whereas the majority of episodes with a type-specific HPV infection cleared within 2 years, there were many women who were either reinfected with a new HPV genotype or presumably experienced reactivation of their initial infection.     

Population-based prevalence and age distribution of human papillomavirus among women in Santiago, Chile.

More than 18 types of human papillomavirus (HPV) are associated with cervical cancer, the relative importance of the HPV types may vary in different populations.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the types of HPV, age distribution, and risk factors for HPV infection in women from Santiago, Chile.METHODS: We interviewed and obtained two cervical specimens from a population-based random sample of 1,038 sexually active women (age range, 15-69 years). Specimens were tested for the presence of HPV DNA using a GP5+/6+ primer-mediated PCR and for cervical cytologic abnormalities by Papanicolaou smears.RESULTS: 122 women tested positive for HPV DNA, 87 with high risk types (HR), and 35 with low risks (LR) only. Standardized prevalence of HPV DNA was 14.0% [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 11.5-16.4]. HR HPV by age showed a J reverse curve, whereas LR HPV showed a U curve, both statistically significant in comparison with no effect or with a linear effect. We found 34 HPV types (13 HR and 21 LR); HPV 16, 56, 31, 58, 59, 18, and 52 accounted for 75.4% of HR infections. Thirty-four (3.6%) women had cytologic lesions. Main risk factor for HPV and for cytologic abnormalities was number of lifetime sexual partners, odds ratios for > or =3 versus 1 were 2.8 (95% CI, 1.6-5.0) and 3.8 (95% CI, 1.3-11.4), respectively.CONCLUSIONS: LR HPV presented a clear bimodal age pattern; HR HPV presented a J reverse curve. HPV prevalence was similar to that described in most Latin American countries.     

Human papillomavirus genotypes and HPV-16 variants distribution among Tunisian women with normal cytology and squamous intraepithelial lesions

Background

Little is known about the epidemiological characteristics of papillomavirus (HPV) infection among North African countries. Herein, we conducted a molecular epidemiological study to investigate prevalence of HPV type and HPV-16 variants among cervical-screened unvaccinated Tunisian women.

Methods

Cross-sectional study was performed on 494 Tunisian women visiting Women’s Healthcare Centers. HPV-DNA detection was carried out on cervical samples using real-time polymerase chain reaction. HPV genotyping and HPV-16 variants were characterized by direct sequencing of L1 viral capsid gene.

Results

The overall HPV prevalence was 34% (95% CI: 30–38%) with significantly higher prevalence among women with squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) than those with no intraepithelial lesions (NIL) 84% (95% CI: 76–92%) and 24.5% (95% CI: 20–29%) respectively. The distribution of HPV prevalence according to women’s age shows a U-shaped curve and the highest HPV prevalence rates were observed among the youngest (≤25 years; 51.2%, 95% CI: 37–67%) and the oldest women (>55 years; 41.7%, 95% The HPV-16 prevalence was 32.8% (95% CI: 22–45%) among women with SIL and 9.2% (95% CI: 6–12%) among women with NIL. Whereas, the HPV-18 prevalence was 1.3% (95% CI: 0–5%) among women with SIL and 0.3% (95% CI: 0–1%) among women with NIL. Among HPV-16 positive women, European lineage (E) was identified as the predominant HPV-16 variant (85.7%, 95% CI: 76–95%). The frequency of E variant was lower among SIL than among NIL women (81%, 95% CI: 64–99%, and 88%, 95% CI: 77–100%, respectively). Conversely, the African-2 variant frequency was higher among SIL than among NIL women (18%, 95% CI: 1–36% and 6%, 95% CI: 2–14%, respectively). In multivariate analysis, young age was the only risk factor that is independently associated with HPV infection. Moreover, HPV infection and menopause were both found to be independently associated with SIL and HSIL.

Conclusion

HPV DNA testing should be proposed to young and menopausal Tunisian women. Considering HPV prevalence, only 13% of the Tunisian women could be protected by the bivalent HPV vaccine. These results may be helpful for designing an adapted HPV testing and vaccination program in Tunisia.

     

Prevalence of human papillomavirus infection in women in Busan,South Korea

To investigate the prevalence of and the risk factors for human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in South Korea, we interviewed and examined a randomly selected sample of 863 sexually active women (age range = 20-74 years, median 44) and 103 self-reported virgins from Busan. The presence of DNA of 34 different HPV types in cervical exfoliated cells was tested among sexually active women by means of a PCR-based assay. IgG antibodies against L1 virus-like particles (anti-VLPs) of HPV types 16, 18, 31, 33 and 58 were also evaluated by means of ELISA. The overall prevalence of HPV DNA was 10.4% (95% confidence interval, CI: 8.5-12.7%). The most often found HPV DNA types were HPV 70, HPV 16 and HPV 33; 19.8% (95% CI: 17.2-22.0) of sexually active women had antibodies against one or more HPV types. The most common anti-VLPs were against HPV 18, 31 and 16. Prevalences standardized by age on the basis of the world standard population were 13.0% for HPV DNA and 17.1% for anti-VLPs. The concordance between the 2 HPV markers at an individual level was modest, but the risk factors for detection of HPV DNA and anti-VLPs were similar: number of lifetime sexual partners (odds ratio, OR for >/= 4 vs. 1 = 3.5 and 5.4, respectively), seropositivity for herpes simplex virus-2 antibodies (OR = 2.6 and 2.5, respectively) and being single or divorced. HPV DNA, but not anti-VLPs, were elevated among women whose husbands were thought by their wives to have extra-marital affairs and those who had undergone vasectomy. Among 103 virgins, 4.9% had anti-VLPs (1/73 among those aged 24 years or less).     

Characterization of HPV genotype profile in squamous cervical lesions in Portugal, a southern European population at high risk of cervical cancer.

A different prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) types has been reported in distinct populations. Although Portugal has a relatively high incidence of cervical cancer within the European Union, no studies have been reported in the Portuguese population. Recently, a clinical trial using a vaccine targeted against HPV-16 demonstrated a high efficacy in preventing HPV-16 cervical lesions. The aim of the present study was the characterization of HPV genotype profile in squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) and invasive cervical cancer (ICC) from 608 patients using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methodology. We frequently detected HPV-6/11 and HPV-16 in low-grade SIL (HPV-6/11, 18.9%; HPV-16, 44.2%). In high-grade SIL, HPV-16 was demonstrated in 74.2% of those lesions and in 80.0% of the cases with ICC. HPV-18 was found in 3.1%, 0.8% and in 15.0% of low, high SIL and ICC, respectively. The overall prevalence of multiple infections with high-risk HPV was 7.2%. Other types of HPV were detected in 7.0% of all cases. Our results demonstrate a high prevalence of HPV-16 in SIL and ICC in Portuguese women. Therefore, a prophylactic HPV-16/18 vaccine may be effective in the prevention of cervical cancer in a significant number of women from this southern European population.     

Human Papillomavirus Genotypes and Cervical Cancer in Northeast Thailand

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a major cause of cervical cancer. More than 100 HPV genotypes have beenidentified; however the distribution varies geographically and according to ethnicity. The purpose of this studywas to investigate the prevalence and distribution of HPV subtypes among Northeast Thai women. Subjectsincluded 198 cases of SCCA and 198 age-matched, healthy controls. HPV-DNA was amplified by PCR using theconsensus primers GP5+/6+ system followed by reverse line blot hybridization genotyping. The prevalence ofhigh-risk HPV infection was 21 (10.1%) and 152 (76.8%) in the controls and in the cases, respectively. High-riskHPV significantly increased the risk for cervical cancer with an OR of 42.4 (95%CI: 22.4-81.4, p<0.001) and anadjusted OR of 40.7-fold (95%CI: 21.5-76.8, p <0.001). HPV-16 was the most prevalent HPV type in the SCCA(56.2%) followed by HPV-58 (17.8%) and HPV-18 (13.6%); whereas HPV-58 (46.4%) was a prominent genotypein the controls followed by HPV-16 (39.3%) and unidentified HPV types (25.0%). These findings indicate thatHPV infection remains a critical risk factor for SCCA; particularly, HPV-16, HPV-58 and HPV-18. In orderto eradicate cervical cancer, sustained health education, promoted use of prophylactics and a HPV-58 vaccineshould be introduced in this region.     

Prevalence, acquisition, and clearance of cervical human papillomavirus infection among women with normal cytology: Hawaii Human Papillomavirus Cohort Study

Few natural history studies of cervical human papillomavirus (HPV) incidence and duration have been conducted among older women, especially from multiethnic populations. Viral and nonviral determinants of HPV acquisition and clearance were examined among 972 sexually active women, ages 18 to 85 years, recruited from clinics on Oahu, Hawaii, and followed for a mean duration of 15 months (range, 2-56 months). Interviews and cervical cell specimens for cytology and HPV DNA detection by PCR, using the PGMY09/PGMY11 primer system, were obtained at baseline and at 4-month intervals. The prevalence of cervical HPV infection was 25.6% at study entry. A total of 476 incident genotype-specific infections were observed during the follow-up period. The incidence of high-risk (HR) HPV types (9.26 per 1,000 woman-months) was similar to low-risk (LR) HPV types (8.24 per 1,000 woman-months). The most commonly acquired HR-HPV types were HPV-52, HPV-16, and HPV-31; and their incidence was increased significantly with a coexisting cervical HPV infection. Cervical HPV acquisition decreased with age, income, and long-term use of oral contraceptives and increased with number of sexual partners, use of hormonal creams, alcohol drinking, and condom use by a sexual partner. Cohort participants cleared 265 of the 476 incident infections during follow-up. LR-HPV infections cleared more rapidly than did HR-HPV infections (median, 180 days versus 224 days). Clearance times were enhanced among older women and women with multiple infections. Our data suggest several viral and nonviral determinants of cervical HPV acquisition and clearance that might be used in cervical cancer prevention programs.     

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.