title: Human papillomavirus coinfections of the vulva and uterine cervix.
abstract: DNA filter in situ hybridisation (FISH) was used to determine the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes 6/11, 16/18, and 31/33 in cell scrapes of the cervix and vulva of 128 women who had precancerous lesions and/or HPV infection of the cervix diagnosed by cytology, colposcopy, and histology. HPV-DNA was found in 87 (68%) vulval and 95 (74%) cervical cell scrapes, and in both the vulval and cervical scrapes of 73 (57%) women, but not in either the vulva or the cervix of 19 women (15%). Of the HPV-DNA-positive smears, the prevalence of the HPV types was 61% HPV 16/18, 14% HPV 6/11, 3% HPV 31/33, and 22% HPV 6/11 and 16/18. By contrast, HPV-DNA was not detected in the cervical smears of a control group of 35 women who were assessed to be free of cervical abnormalities by colposcopy and cytology. The epithelial response of the vulva and the cervix to application of 5% acetic acid was assessed by colposcopy and the results correlated with the presence of HPV genotypes. A possible or definite disorder of the cervix and vulva was detected by colposcopy in 95 (74%) and 96 (75%) of the 128 cases, respectively. The colposcopic assessment of the vulva was inconclusive in ten cases (8%), and only eight women (6%) were found to be free of both a vulval and cervical disorder. This study shows subclinical papillomavirus infections of the vulva frequently coexist with HPV infections and precancerous lesions of the cervix.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Western Australia.
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kulski
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Demeter
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rakoczy
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Sterrett
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Pixley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D003127:Colposcopy; D015344:DNA Probes, HPV; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D014591:Uterine Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D014845:Vulvar Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015344:DNA Probes, HPV; D004279:DNA, Viral