Squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs) and HPV associated changes in HIV infected women or at risk of HIV. DIANAIDS Cooperative Study Group.
OBJECTIVE
The study concerns the prevalence of squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs) and the specific cervical cytopathological features of a group of HIV-positive and a group of HIV-negative women recruited in a multicentric cohort study. The assessment of HPV-DNA genotypes was carried out in both groups.


METHODS
459 women, 266 HIV-positive and 193 HIV-negative women at risk were examined in an Italian multi-institutional study involving 14 gynaecological centres.


RESULTS
In our samples, the risk of SILs was 29.4% for HIV-positive women and 10% for HIV-negative women (O.R. = 3.90, C.I. 95%: 2.20-6.98) while HPV-DNA-PCR genotypes had a high prevalence in both groups of HIV-positive and HIV-negative women. Cytopathological features of SILs in HIV-positive women were: a higher number of koilocytes and a more marked atypia of high grade neoplastic cells.


CONCLUSIONS
A higher prevalence of SILs as well as a specific cervical cytopathology might suggest HIV infection.
Branca
M
M
Cytopathology Unit, National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy.
Migliore
G
G
Giuliani MLeoncini
L
L
Ippolito
G
G
Cappiello
G
G
Garbuglia
A R
AR
Schiesari
A
A
Rezza
G
G
D000328:Adult; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018023:HIV Seronegativity; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D014626:Vaginal Smears