title: High HPV 16 viral load is associated with increased cervical dysplasia in Honduran women.
abstract: Cervical cancer is believed to have a co-factorial etiology in which high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are considered an essential factor and other elements play an ancillary role. Besides the importance of specific HPV genotypes, other viral cofactors as viral load may influence the progression likelihood. In this study the relationship between HPV 16 viral load with respect to the grade of cervical disease in Honduran women was investigated. A real-time PCR allowing quantification of both HPV 16 genome and beta-globin gene to normalize the measuring HPV 16 load in cervical cells was used. The data in 87 women with cervical dysplasia or cervical cancer and in 23 women with a negative Pap smear were evaluated. The highest average of HPV 16 viral load was detected in women with High Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions (HSIL). An increasing amount of HPV in higher cervical lesions was found, which could indicate a dose-response association between viral load and precancerous lesion grade.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras (UNAH), Tegucigalpa, Honduras. nelba_tabora@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Nelba
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tábora
authors.forename: Annabelle
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferrera
authors.forename: Judith M J E
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bakkers
authors.forename: Leon F A G
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Massuger
authors.forename: Willem J G
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Melchers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017691:Caribbean Region / Q000453:epidemiology; D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D006721:Honduras / Q000453:epidemiology; D052162:Human papillomavirus 16 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007843:Latin America / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral