Reduction of the risk of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in HIV-infected women treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of our study was to determine whether highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) reduces the onset of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) in HIV-positive women.


METHODS
The study was designed to assess CIN incidence in a cohort of 101 HIV-positive women and to evaluate its relationship with ongoing antiretroviral therapy. The patients were screened through a combined Pap smear and colposcopic examination on a yearly basis. If any abnormalities were reported, the patients underwent targeted biopsy with histological confirmation of the diagnosis.


RESULTS
During the follow-up period, 38 patients (37.6%) developed histologically verified CIN, including low-grade CIN in seven patients (6.9%) and high-grade CIN in 31 patients (30.4%). Over the study period, 43 patients (42.6%) were treated with HAART for at least 6 months, the average duration of treatment being 37 months. Analysis of HAART efficacy in preventing CIN onset, determined by the Cox regression model with a time-dependent covariate adjusted for the CD4 level at the first visit, showed that HAART significantly reduced the risk of developing CIN (hazard ratio, 0.3; p = 0.004).


CONCLUSIONS
HIV-positive patients present a high incidence of CIN and of high-grade CIN in particular. HAART exhibits a protective action against the onset of cervical lesions.
Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Neonatology, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. soncio@tin.it
Emanuele
E
Soncini
Alessia
A
Zoncada
Vittorio
V
Condemi
Anna Degli
AD
Antoni
Elena
E
Bocchialini
Paola
P
Soregotti
D000328:Adult; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*