Human papillomavirus infection and its association with cervical dysplasia in Ecuadorian women attending a private cancer screening clinic

C.R Brown,K Muñoz,A Fagioni,M.L Leon,B Frain,B Qadadri,D.R Brown,L.G Amador,W Tu

doi:10.1590/s0100-879x2009000700007

C.R Brown, K Muñoz + Show 7 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/s0100-879x2009000700007

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Abstract

Women living in Latin American countries bear a disproportionate burden of cervical cancer, a condition caused by infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV). We performed a study in Santa Elena, Guayas (currently Santa Elena Province), Ecuador, to determine how often HPV could be detected in women attending a private cancer screening clinic. Participants underwent a Pap test, and vaginal and cervical swabs were performed for HPV testing by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Each participant completed a verbally administered survey. The mean age of 302 participants was 37.7 years (range 18 to 78 years). The majority of cervical and vaginal specimens contained sufficient DNA to perform PCR. Overall, 24.2% of the participants had either a cervical or vaginal swab that tested positive for HPV. In general, there was a good correlation between the HPV types detected in the cervical and vaginal swabs from the participants, but vaginal swabs were more likely to contain HPV DNA than were cervical swabs. The high-risk HPV types 16, 52, 58, and 59 and the low-risk HPV types 62, 71, 72, and 83 were the most frequently detected HPV types. The number of lifetime sexual partners was positively associated with detection of any HPV type, detection of oncogenic HPV, and abnormal Pap smears. Further studies are needed to determine if these results are representative of all Ecuadorian women and to determine if cervical cancers in Ecuadorian women are caused by the same HPV types found in the swab specimens obtained in this study.

Highlights

Human papillomavirus (HPV), the causative agent of cervical cancer, is the most common sexually transmitted infection
A total of 302 participants had adequate specimens from both the cervix and vagina, and had Pap smears performed. Women among these 302 participants were considered to be positive for HPV if either the cervical or vaginal swab was positive for HPV
The aims of our study were to contribute to the knowledge of HPV prevalence and type distribution in a defined population of Ecuadorian women, and to evaluate the utility of vaginal swab specimens in these women

Summary

Introduction

Human papillomavirus (HPV), the causative agent of cervical cancer, is the most common sexually transmitted infection. Approximately 45% of cases of penile cancer are associated with HPV [3]. Of the approximately 100 different types of HPVs that have been identified and fully sequenced, approximately 40 infect the genital tract [4,5]. The most common type of HPV associated with non-cervical genital tract cancers is HPV 16, which causes more than 50% of these cancers [3,6]. The genital HPV types are divided into two categories, ‘high risk’ and ‘low risk’, originally assigned based on whether the HPV type could or could not be found as a solitary isolate in cervical cancer specimens. Individuals infected with highrisk HPV infection have an increased risk of cervical cancer

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