Genital human papillomavirus types in immunocompetent and immunodepressed women in northeast Italy: prevalence and cytomorphological correlations.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated the prevalence of genital human papillomavirus (HPV) types in correlation with cytomorphological findings in patients at different risk for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia living in northeast Italy.


METHODS
Exfoliated cervicovaginal cells from 943 women, who were divided into three groups, were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction.


RESULTS
Overall, HPV prevalence rates were 7%, 38%, and 52%, respectively. The single most frequent type was HPV 16 (18%), followed by types 6, 31, 53, 58, 61, and novel/unidentified (5-7%); other types had a frequency <5%. Infection with multiple types was present in 12%. In HIV-infected women, HPV infection was correlated with lower CD4 level and higher viral load; HGSILs were correlated only with a lower CD4 count, and no correlations were found for LGSILs.


CONCLUSIONS
HGSILs were associated with high-risk types, mainly HPV 16 (40%). LGSILs, instead, were associated with a broad spectrum of low-risk and high-risk types.
Del Mistro
A
A
Department of Oncology and Surgical Sciences, University of Padova and Molecular Oncology and Cytology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera di Padova, Italy.
Bonaldi
L
L
Bertorelle
R
R
Minucci
D
D
Franzetti
M
M
Cattelan
A
A
Bonoldi
E
E
Sposetti
R
R
Torrisi
A
A
Chieco-Bianchi
L
L