title: Prevalence of cervical high-risk human papillomavirus infections in kidney graft recipients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Female kidney graft recipients are regarded as a group at risk of cervical cancer development. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of cervical high-risk human papilloma virus (HR-HPV) infection and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) in female kidney graft recipients in comparison to healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed the prevalence of HR-HPV and CIN in 60 female kidney graft recipients of reproductive age in outpatient care of the First Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Warsaw. The control group consisted of 60 healthy women. Cervical swabs were analyzed with use of Amplicor HPV Roche Molecular Systems test, detecting DNA of 13 types of high-risk HPV: 6, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, and 68.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HR-HPV was detected in 11/60 kidney recipients and 15/60 healthy women (p=0.37). There was no correlation between HR-HPV presence and immunosuppressive regimen, underlying disease, graft function, or time interval from transplantation. In both groups, higher prevalence of HR-HPV was observed in females with ≥2 lifetime sexual partners. Abnormal Pap test results in 2 kidney recipients (2 cases of HSIL) and 2 healthy women (LSIL and HSIL) required colposcopy-guided cervical biopsy, which in all cases revealed CIN2+.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Female kidney graft recipients seem to be equally exposed to cervical infection with HPV of high oncogenic potential as the healthy population.
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mazanowska
authors.forename: Bronisława
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pietrzak
authors.forename: Paweł
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kamiński
authors.forename: Alicja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ekiel
authors.forename: Gayane
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martirosian
authors.forename: Zoulikha
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jabiry-Zieniewicz
authors.forename: Mirosław
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wielgoś
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology