Pre-vaccination prevalence of high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPV) in women from Kosovo and their related sociodemographic characteristics

Abstract

Objectives: Kosovo's current health care system does not support organized nationwide cervical cancer screening and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programs. To date, no reliable data are available on cervical cancer incidence and mortality in Kosovo, or on high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) prevalence and HPV type distribution. Our aim is to determinate the pre-vaccination prevalence and distribution of HR-HPVs and to assesses the associations between sociodemographic characteristics and increased risk of HPV infection in women from Kosovo. Material and methods: Detection of HR-HPV DNA in cytologically evaluated cervical smears was performed using a clinically validated Abbott RealTime High Risk HPV test, Roche Linear Array HPV Genotyping Test, HPV52 type-specific real-time PCR and an in-house GP5+/GP6+/68 PCR. Results: The crude overall prevalence of any of the HR-HPVs was estimated at 13.1% (26/199; 95% confidence interval (CI): 9.1-18.5%), with HPV16 being the most common type (7/26, 26.9%), followed by HPV31 and HPV51, each detected in 4/26 (15.4%) cervical specimens, HPV18, detected in 3/26 (11.5%) specimens, HPV52 and HPV66, each detected in 2/26 (7.7%) specimens, and HPV33, HPV45, HPV56, and HPV58, each detected in a single (3.9%) specimen. Women over 40 (OR = 0.36), older than 18 at sexual debut (odds ratio (OR) = 0.28), those that had delivered at least one child (OR = 0.32), and those that had a history of pregnancy termination (OR = 0.39) were at lower risk for HPV infection. Conclusion: Because more than 70% of cervical precancerous lesions could have been prevented in Kosovo using nationwide HPV-based cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination, it is of outmost importance to implement both programs in the national health care system as soon as possible.

Distribution of vaccine-related high-risk human papillomaviruses and their impact on the development of cervical dysplasia in women in Montenegro

“…In our study, 12 HR-HPV genotypes were detected in 40.6% of cervical samples from Montenegrin women, which is a similar prevalence rate as in Bulgaria (38.8%) [16] but higher than that of reported in other studies from the region: 29% in Romania (15 HR-HPV) [17], 15.5% in Serbia (the same 12 HR-HPVs as in this study) [18], and 13.1% in Kosovo (14 HR-HPVs, according to United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 of 1999) [19].…”

“…Other studies have shown that HPV 31 was one of the most common HR genotypes. As in Montenegro, HPV 31 was the third most common genotype in Serbia [18] and Bulgaria (10.7 and 12.2%, respectively) [16]; however, in Croatia [30], Bosnia and Herzegovina [22], and Kosovo [19] it was the second most common genotype (12.6, 14.3, and 15.4%, respectively).…”

Kosovo women’s knowledge and awareness of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, HPV vaccination, and its relation to cervical cancer

“…To date, Kosovo has no national programs for HPV vaccination and it has not promoted HPV vaccination. The prevalence of high-risk HPV genotypes among Kosovo women [9] is similar to that in other countries in the region, and the lack of a national screening program for cervical cancer in Kosovo corresponds to the great risk women have of acquiring cervical cancer.…”

“…The prevalence of specific HPV types varies geographically, taking into consideration other cofactors, mainly socio-epidemiological ones. Recently, results were also obtained for Kosovo, where the overall HPV prevalence is 13.1%, with HPV 16 as the most prevalent type [9].…”

Kosovo women’s knowledge and awareness of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, HPV vaccination, and its relation to cervical cancer

“…The prevalence of speci c HPV types varies geographically, taking into consideration other cofactors, mainly socio-epidemiological ones. Recently, results were also obtained for Kosovo, where the overall HPV prevalence is 13.1%, with HPV 16 as the most prevalent type [9].…”