Incidence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in a cohort of HIV-infected women

Abstract

ObjectiveTo assess cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) incidence in HIV-positive women and the risk factors for these lesions. MethodsA retrospective and longitudinal cohort study was conducted from June 13, 1997, to December 18, 2009. At the first visit, the 348 participants had a normal cytologic finding but a negative Schiller test result, or an abnormal cytologic finding but no histologic diagnosis of CIN. Infection with HPV was detected by polymerase chain reaction. The main outcome measure was CIN incidence. ResultsDuring a mean follow-up of 40months, 47 women (13.5%) developed CIN, for an incidence of 4.1 cases per 100 person-years of follow-up. The HPV prevalence was 68.1%, 42 women (89.4%) developed CIN 1, and no invasive cervical cancers were identified. On multivariate analysis, women younger than 19years at first sexual intercourse (RR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.24–5.35) and women who had never used antiretrovirals or used them only during pregnancy (RR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.31–4.19) were at higher risk for CIN. ConclusionThe CIN incidence was low despite the high HPV prevalence. Being younger than 19years at first sexual intercourse and not using antiretroviral medications were found to be the main risk factors for CIN.