Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Cervical Infections with Human Papillomavirus during Pregnancy

Abstract

The prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection of the cervix was determined in an unselected population of pregnant women presenting to an inner-city Obstetrics Clinic in the first trimester. Cervical scrape specimens were screened for the presence of HPV types 6,11,16,18, and 31 DNA by using three different blot hybridization methods. Specimens from 26 (ll.l^o) of 234 patients contained HPV DNA sequences. HPV-16 and -31 were detected in six specimens each, whereas HPV-6, -11, and -18 were each identified in three specimens. Five additional specimens contained HPV DNA sequences of undetermined type. Only two of the 26 positive specimens were obtained from patients with genital warts; an additional 12 specimens were from patients with cytological abnormalities. We conclude that cervical HPV infections in some pregnant populations are common and that many such infections are not clinically apparent. Genital tract infections with human papillomaviruses (HPVs) occur commonly and are thought to be transmitted by sexual contact. These infections are most often recognized as condyloma acuminata or genital warts, although a number of other lesions have also been associated with the presence of HPV. Recent data [1] suggest that HPV may be the most common sexually transmitted virus, surpassing genital herpes in incidence. Although HPV infections of the genital tract used to be considered little more than a minor cosmetic problem, the association of some HPV types with certain malignancies in the genital tract and, less commonly, in the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts [2-10] has created a renewed interest in these pathogens.