title: Low risk and high risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) and cervical cancer in Zimbabwe: epidemiological evidence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish the prevalence of detectable low-risk and high-risk, oncogenic HPV types in cervical swabs of women with histologically proven cancer of the cervix.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Harare Central and Parirenyatwa Hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  119 women with histologically proven cervical cancer of whom 63 had the degree of differentiation of the tumour reported.
  
  
  METHODS
  Frequency of infection with high and low-risk human papillomaviruses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The presence of HPV DNA was demonstrated in 63% (75/119) of cases. Low risk HPVs were present in 26% (31/119) and high-risk HPVs were demonstrated in 51% (61/119) of samples tested. Co-infection with both low-risk and high-risk HPVs was observed in 14% (17/119) of the specimens. High-risk HPVs were detected in 55% (21/38) of poorly differentiated tumours while 60% (15/25) of moderately and well-differentiated tumours showed the presence of high-risk HPVs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High-risk human papillomaviruses are associated with cervical cancer. There was no significant difference in the frequency of high-risk HPV types in women with moderately to well-differentiated tumours and those with poorly-differentiated tumours.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Pathology, University of Zimbabwe, School of Medicine, P O Box A178, Avondale, Harare. mchirara@healthnet.zw
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chirara
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Stanczuk
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Tswana
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nystrom
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bergstrom
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Moyo
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Nzara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D015030:Zimbabwe / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral