title: Pre-vaccination prevalence and genotype distribution of human papillomavirus infection among women from urban Tunis: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To estimate the pre-vaccination distribution of human papillomavirus (HPV) types among women from urban Tunis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 611 women aged 18-69 years were enrolled in three local gynaecological outpatient departments. All underwent a gynaecological examination with Pap test and dry swab for HPV detection and typing performed by linear array genotyping test (Roche). Cytological examination was conducted on conventional Pap smears.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HPV DNA was found in 6.5% of the women; the most frequent HPV types were HPV 16 and HPV 11 at 3.27% and 1.96%, respectively. The second most frequent high risk (HR) HPV type was HPV 58 (0.82%) followed by HPV 18, HPV 31 and HPV 33 found in only 0.33% of women. Single infections with HPV types, targeted by the quadrivalent vaccine (6, 11, 16, and 18), were detected in 3.6 % of the study patients (55% of positive women). HPV infection was found in 3.83% of women with normal cytology and in 47.4% of women with cytological abnormalities. No statistically significant trend in prevalence by age group emerged for any HPV type or for high or low risk types.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data show a relatively low prevalence of HPV infection in women from urban Tunis with a high proportion of HPV16 and HPV58. This should be considered in the upcoming screening programs and vaccination strategy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Tunisia E-mail : haifaketiti@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Haifa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guettiti
authors.forename: Emna
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ennaifer
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Attia
authors.forename: Dalenda
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chelly
authors.forename: Nissaf Ben
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Alaya
authors.forename: Rim Ben
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Aissa
authors.forename: Thalja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Laassili
authors.forename: Samir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boubaker
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D065006:Papanicolaou Test / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000517:prevention & control; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014611:Vaccination; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines