PCR‐detected genital papillomavirus infection: Prevalence and association with risk factors for cervical cancer

Abstract

In an investigation conducted in student health clinic patients, the polymerase chain reaction was used to detect human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA, thereby allowing measurement of the prevalence of HPV infection and study of the association between HPV infection and risk factors for cervical cancer. Of 159 women eligible to participate, 105 (66%) provided a specimen of cervical cells for HPV typing, and also answered an interviewer-administered questionnaire which sought information on risk factors for cervical cancer. Nucleic acid extracted from cervical cells was screened with primers for HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18, 33 and with an HPV Consensus primer. Overall, the prevalence of HPV infection was 18.1%, while for HPV-6/11 it was 2.9% and for HPV-16/18 it was 10.5%. There were statistically significant increases in risk of HPV infection with a history of ever having smoked cigarettes (overall, and for HPV-16 alone) and with a history of usually having sexual intercourse during menstrual periods (overall, but not for HPV-16), and these associations were independent of the effects of age at first sexual intercourse and number of sexual partners. The latter 2 variables, as well as the total number of occasions of sexual intercourse, a history of anal intercourse, and a history of ever having used oral contraceptives, were not associated with statistically significant alterations in risk of HPV infection.

Infecção pelo Papilomavírus Humano em Adolescentes: Relação com o Método Anticoncepcional, Gravidez, Fumo e Achados Citológicos

“…O fumo tem sido relacionado com infecção por HPV e com neoplasia cervical 11,12 . Isto ocorre provavelmente devido à imunossupressão local causada pelo fumo, que permite com maior facilidade a penetração do vírus nas células 26 .…”

“…No entanto, alguns autores não encontraram esta relação 10 . O hábito de fumar tem sido relacionado com a maior incidência e permanência da infecção pelo HPV e de neoplasia pré-invasiva e invasiva [11][12][13] . A permanência da infecção pelo vírus parece estar relacionada com o desenvolvimento de câncer de colo uterino.…”

Tobacco Smoking Impairs the Local Immunosurveillance in the Uterine Cervix

“…Smoking has also been associated with the presence of cervical human pap illomavirus in patients at student health clinics [2], There is a general consensus that human papillomaviruses play a major causal role in the development of cervical cancer [3], Another risk factor for cervical neoplasia is sexual behavior: intercourse before the age of 17 years and multi ple sexual partners are both strongly associated with risk of cervical neoplasia [4]. The association between smok ing and cervical neoplasia remains after adjustment for these sexual risk factors [5,6].…”

Breakthroughs and Issues in HPV Genital Infections in relation to Cervical Cancer

“…Peak level occurs in 20-25% of women between 20-24 years and then decline. Women >35 7,8,9,10 . The median time to clearance prevalent infection ranges from 4-6 months 1-2 years.…”