title: HPV infection in women with and without cervical cancer in Conakry, Guinea.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cervical cancer incidence in western Africa is among the highest in the world.
  
  
  METHODS
  To investigate human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in Guinea, we obtained cervical specimens from 831 women aged 18-64 years from the general population of the capital Conakry and from 77 locally diagnosed invasive cervical cancers (ICC). Human papillomavirus was detected using a GP5+/6+ PCR-based assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the general population, the prevalence of cervical abnormalities was 2.6% by visual inspection and 9.5% by liquid-based cytology. Fourteen of 15 high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions were visual inspection-negative. Human papillomavirus prevalence was 50.8% (32.1% for high-risk types) and relatively constant across all age groups. Being single or reporting > or =3 sexual partners was significantly associated with HPV positivity. HPV16 was the most common type, both among the general population (7.3%) and, notably in ICC (48.6%). HPV45 (18.6%) and HPV18 (14.3%), the next most common types in ICC, were also more common in ICC than in HPV-positive women with normal cytology from the general population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The heavy burden of HPV infection and severe cervical lesions in Guinean women calls for new effective interventions. Sixty-three per cent of cervical cancers are theoretically preventable by HPV16/18 vaccines in Guinea; perhaps more if some cross-protection exists with HPV45.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Donka, Conakry, Guinea.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Keita
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Clifford
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koulibaly
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Douno
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kabba
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haba
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Sylla
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: van Kemenade
authors.forename: P J F
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Snijders
authors.forename: C J L M
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Meijer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Franceschi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D016701:Guinea / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D015995:Prevalence; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D055815:Young Adult