Prevalence and genotypic distribution of high-risk human papillomavirus infection among women screened for cervical cancer at Lampang Cancer Hospital

Introduction: The persistent infection of high risk (HR) human papillomaviruses (HPV) induces precancerous lesions of human mucosal, cutaneous epithelia and further cause cervix abnormalities and developing of cervical cancer. Therefore, HR-HPV testing is recently used for cervical cancer screening. In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence and genotypic distribution of HR-HPV and also to demonstrate the correlation between two methods of cervical cancer screening which are HR-HPV testing and liquid-based cytology. Materials and Methods: HR-HPV testing was conducted employing the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA hybridization techniques with the utilization of the Diassay EIA HPV GP GP5+/6+ HR kit - a diagnostic kit for high risk human papillomavirus detection for cervical cancer. Genotyping was performed using Roche Linear Array HPV genotyping test kit. Cervical smears were interpreted using the 2001 Bethesda System. Results: Cervical samples from a total number of 2,435 women were collected in this study. Out of these, 145 (6%) were found HR HPV positive. Eighty one of these HR-HPV positive cases were of single-genotype infection, while the remaining cases (64) were of double- and multiple-genotype infections. HPV genotype 52 was the most prevalent genotype, followed by genotype 16 and 58. Of 145 HR-HPV-positive cases, 46 (32%) showed abnormal cervical cytological results. Conclusion: The HR-HPV test is an appropriate tool for screening of cervical cancer in women. However, the combination of HR-HPV test with other approved medical screening methods will enhance a higher level of sensitivity and specificity for detecting cervix lesions and cervical cancer. Bull Chiang Mai Assoc Med Sci 2015; 48(3): 231-240