title: Distribution of human papillomavirus genotypes in women with cervical alterations from north Argentina.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cervical cancer remains a major public health problem in northern Argentina, showing the highest mortality rate in the country (approximately 22 cases/100000 women).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to provide epidemiological data on the prevalence and type distribution of human papillomavirus (HPV) in women with pre-neoplastic lesions before the massive introduction of HPV vaccination in the country.
  
  
  METHODS
  Exfoliated cervical cells were collected to screen for HPV using the widely known MY09/11 PCR, followed by the restriction fragment-length polymorphism (RFLP) technique from a total of 714 women with previously diagnosed atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS), low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LG-SIL) and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HG-SIL).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall HPV prevalence was 48.2% in ASCUS (24 different HPV types detected), 66.5% in LG-SIL (37 HPV types detected) and 82.6% in HG-SIL (16 HPV types detected). HPV-16 was the most prevalent type among all cases. With respect to multiple HPV infections, 9.6% were observed in ASCUS, 14.3% in LG-SIL and 11.4% in HG-SIL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The major strength of our study is the assessment of a large series of women with cytological alterations in this region. The information attained will be useful as a regional baseline for future epidemiological vigilance, in the context of the national HPV vaccination program.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, Laboratory of Molecular Application, Faculty of Medicine, Northeast National University, Corrientes, Argentina.
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Deluca
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Marin
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Basiletti
authors.forename: J V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Merino
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Picconi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D015995:Prevalence; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral