title: Cervical samples dried on filter paper and dried vaginal tampons can be useful to investigate the circulation of high-risk HPV in Congo.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High-risk HPV (HR-HPV) are associated with the development of cervical cancer, the most common cancer in women in developing countries. Reliable diagnosis of HR-HPV infection combined with simple procedures to collect and store biological samples, could improve primary screening programs and vaccine strategies in these areas.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate HR-HPV detection in conventional and dried samples.
  
  
  METHODS
  The presence of HR-HPV in 31 women in Republic of Congo (Central Africa) has been investigated by using standard cervical samples and dried cervical samples collected on filter paper and vaginal tampons. The detection of HPV DNA was performed in the Laboratory of virology in Lille (France) by using Hybrid capture 2 and HPV 16/18/45 Probe Set Test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  22 standard samples were found positive for the detection of HR-HPV (71%). HPV 16/18/45 was displayed in 15 out of 22 samples positive for HR-HPV (68%). The correlations between HPV detection by using standard samples and samples dried on filter paper and dried tampons were 90.3% (kappa = 0.77) and 80.6% (kappa = 0.5) respectively. The sensitivity and the specificity of HPV detection reached 91% and 89%, respectively, with samples dried on filter paper and were 86% and 67%, respectively, for dried tampons compared with standard samples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dried cervical samples and dried vaginal tampons can represent an alternative to conventional sampling to reduce barriers to large screening programs in developing countries and to facilitate storage and transport to reference centers.
authors.affiliation: Université Lille 2, Faculté de Médecine, CHRU Lille, Laboratoire de virologie EA3610, Loos-lez-Lille 59120, France.
authors.forename: E K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Alidjinou
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ebatetou-Ataboho
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sané
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Moukassa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dewilde
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hober
mesh_terms: D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000821:virology*; D003223:Congo; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D003890:Desiccation; D005260:Female; D005374:Filtration / Q000379:methods*; D052162:Human papillomavirus 16 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D052161:Human papillomavirus 18 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D052576:Menstrual Hygiene Products / Q000821:virology*; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D012306:Risk; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral