Prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in Basque Country women using slot-blot hybridization: a survey of women at low risk of developing cervical cancer.
Cervical smears from 1,178 women with cytologically normal cervices and 67 women with cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN) or cervical carcinoma were analyzed for the presence of HPV 6, 11, 16 and 18 DNA by slot-blot hybridization. HPV DNA was detected in 17% (95% CI: 14%-19%) of the women with a normal smear; 11% of infected women harboured HPV 16 and 18 (95% CI: 9%-13%, each). HPV DNA was detected in 54% (95% CI: 41%-66%) of patients with abnormal smear; the most prevalent virus type in this group was HPV 16 (45%; 95% CI: 32%-38%). In order to verify the slot-blot results, a proportion of the samples was also investigated by PCR. There was 88% correlation between the 2 tests. The high prevalence of HPV 16 and 18 infection demonstrated in our low-cervical-cancer-risk area further support the role of as yet unidentified co-factors as determinants of the different geographic rates of cervical-cancer incidence.
Mugica-Van Herckenrode
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Department of Cell Biology and Morphological Sciences, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Vizcaya, Spain.
Malcolm
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Coleman
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D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D013030:Spain; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D014626:Vaginal Smears
D004279:DNA, Viral