Reminescences
Prevalence of Human Papillomavirus among Croatian Women Attending Regular Gynecological Visit
Maja Grahovac
Ivana Račić
Ita Hadžisejdić
Amka Dorić
Blaženka Grahovac
Abstract
Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has been identified as major risk factor for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia
(CIN) and invasive cervical cancer. About 40 HPV viral types are commonly found in the genital tract. Most HPV infections
resolve spontaneously, while persistent infection with oncogenic types, namely HPV 16 and 18 is necessary for CIN
to occur and progress to cancer. Cervical screening is presently based on the Pap smear that is designed to diagnose precancerous
lesions and cervical cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of HPV DNA and to determine
HPV types distribution among 361 women attending regular gynecological visit. There were 205 women (29±8
years old) without determined abnormal cervical lesions and 156 women (34±15 years old) with abnormal Pap smear;
low grade squamous intraepitehelial lesions (LSIL, n=69), high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL, n=72)
and atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS, n=15). HPV DNA detection and genotyping was
performed by Hybrid Capture 2 assay and additionally by consensus and type-specific primers directed PCR. The overall
prevalence of high-risk HPV (hrHPV) in women with abnormal Pap smears was 67.9% (106/156), of which in ASCUS
33.4% (5/15), LSIL 62.3% (43/69) and HSIL 80.6% (58/72). In HPV positive specimens, HPV 16 was found as predominant
type in 60.4% cases, followed by HPV 31 (8.5%), HPV 33 (6.6%) and HPV 18 (3.7%). In the group of women without
obvious cervical changes the overall hrHPV prevalence was 35.6% with HPV 16 found in 43.8% cases, followed by HPV
31 (17.8%), HPV 33 (9.5%) and HPV 18 (6.8%). In both study groups, women with and without cervical lesions, the prevalence
of HPV of indeterminate type was 14.2% and 13.7%, respectively. Our results indicate that cervical intraepithelial
lesions are largely associated with HPV type 16, followed by HPV types 31, 33, 18 and HPV of indeterminate type. Although
there is a significant difference in hrHPV DNA prevalence among two groups, no significant differences between
particular hrHPV types distribution were observed.
Keywords
Cervical intraepithelial lesions; Human papillomavirus(HPV) detection; hybrid capture; HPV prevalence; polymerase chain reaction
Hrčak ID:
27446
URI
Publication date:
13.4.2007.
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