Prevalence of high-risk human papillomavirus types 16 and 18 among libyan women in tripoli libya

Abstract

Background and Aims: Despite the well-known association between human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer, yet there are no available data concerning the prevalence of HPV and its type distribution among Libyan women. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of the most common high-risk HPV types 16 and 18 among Libyan women in Tripoli and to compare it with the cytological findings of the cervix. Methods: A total of 132 cervical samples were collected from women who sought medical attention at the gynecology outpatient clinic of the Tripoli University Hospital and other gynecology private clinics in Tripoli region. Cervical cytological status was classified according to the Bethesda System 2014. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to facilitate the specific detection of HPV types 16 and/or 18. Results: The cytopathological examination showed that 92.4% of women had normal cervical cytology (n = 122/132) and 7.5% (n = 10/132) of them had cervical lesions. The overall prevalence of the most common oncogenic HPV types was 4.5%, as only six samples (n = 6/132) were confirmed of harboring HPV-DNA. Concerning the cytological status of the cervix, HPV-DNA was not found (0%) in women with a normal cervix, and it was present in 60% of women with cervical lesions. The high-risk HPV type 16 was the exclusive type among our all positive samples, with no detection of HPV type 18 among all our recruited subjects. Conclusion: Even though our findings showed a low overall prevalence of high-risk HPV types among Libyan women, the burden of HPV 16 among women with cervical lesions highlights the need to raise attention toward expanding research about HPV and adopt measures to prevent cervical cancer by vaccination and national screening program. The introduction of HPV-DNA testing in cervical cancer management will greatly benefit early-stage HPV detection and help prevent cervical lesions from progression to cancer.