The effect of other high-risk HPV types on cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cancer

Abstract

Objective: Cervical cancer is an serious healthcare problem with a high mortality rate. High-risk Human papillomavirus (HPV) geno-types, especially HPV 16, 31, 33, and 18, are the leading cause of cervical cancer and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. Cervical cancer screening programs, especially ones that are HPV-based, have gained prominence in many countries. Herein, we evaluated the effect of other high-risk (hr) HPV types (HPV 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66, and 68) with normal cytology on cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cancer. Methods: 9015 patients were screened via HPV typing and cytology. 520 patients with high-risk HPV positivity, aged 25–65, and unvaccinated for HPV were included in the study. Patients with high-risk HPV DNA positivity and cytologic abnor-mality, HPV 16–18 positivity, or with high-risk HPV DNA positivity and normal cytology or with postcoital bleeding and/or suspicious appearance of the cervix underwent colposcopy and colposcopic-directed biopsy. Results: Of the 520 women included in the study, the prevalence of the hr-HPV types is as follows: HPV 16 (29%), HPV 18 (13.7%), other high-risk HPV (43.8%), and HPV 16 or 18 plus other hr-HPV (13.5%). Among patients diagnosed with ≥ CIN2, 36.3% had HPV 16 positivity, 21.8% had HPV 18, 24.2% had other hr-HPV and 17.7% had co-infection with HPV type 16 and 18 and other hr-HPV types. HPV 16 (Odds Ratio (OR) = 3.099, 95%Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.933–4.968), HPV 18 (OR = 4.834, 95% CI = 2.715–8.608), and co-infection with HPV 16 or 18 with other hr-HPV types (OR = 3.324, 95% CI = 1.851–5.969) were statistically significantly associated ≥ CIN2 on biopsy. Among patietns with normal cytology and positive for other hr-HPV types CIN2+ was detected in 10.3% of patients who underwent biopsy, but only 1.5%had CIN3 and no cancers were detected. Conclusion: Consistent with our national screening guidelines, the risk for CIN3+ for women with normal cytology but positive for hr-HPV types other than 16 and 18 is low. Re-testing these patients in one year appears acceptable.