title: Prevalence of human papillomavirus infection in pregnant versus non-pregnant women in Brazil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) in cervical samples of pregnant and non-pregnant women in South-Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study of 91 pregnant and 92 non-pregnant women with no previous history of cervical dysplasia or cancer was carried out. Cervical samples for HPV testing and cytology were collected in each trimester of pregnancy and in the puerperium for pregnant women and at matched intervals for the non-pregnant women. All samples were analyzed through PCR with consensus primers GP5+/GP6+. Genotyping was performed using specific primers. To control for confounding factors, the analysis of multivariate logistic regression was applied. The measure of odds ratio (OR) and the 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI) were used. The level of statistical significance was set at 5 % (P ≤ 0.05).
  
  
  RESULTS
  HPV DNA was detected in 23/91 (25.3 %) cervical samples from the pregnant women and in 12/92 (13 %) cervical samples from non-pregnant women (P = 0.035). There was a significant association among cervical HPV infection and young age, number of lifetime sexual partners, and the presence of abnormal cervical cytology. HPV16 and HPV18 were the viral types more frequently detected. Out of the 23 HPV-positive pregnant women, 17 (73.9 %) had normal cervical cytology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest a higher prevalence of HPV infection in pregnant vs. non-pregnant women. This finding may be related to the relative immunosuppression observed in pregnant women, outlining the importance of the appropriate monitoring of the viral infection in this specific population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics of Federal University of Health Sciences (UFCSPA)/Santa Casa de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. mila@ufcspa.edu.br.|, Rua Prof. Annes Dias, 295, 1° Andar, CEP-90020-090, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. mila@ufcspa.edu.br.
authors.forename: Mila M B P
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Salcedo
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Biology of UFCSPA, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Andrea P S
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Damin
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Biology of UFCSPA, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Grasiela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Agnes
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics of Federal University of Health Sciences (UFCSPA)/Santa Casa de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Suzana A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Pessini
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics of Federal University of Health Sciences (UFCSPA)/Santa Casa de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Patricia El
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Beitune
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Biology of UFCSPA, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Claudio O P
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Alexandre
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Kathleen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Schmeler
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics of Federal University of Health Sciences (UFCSPA)/Santa Casa de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gustavo Py Gomes
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: da Silveira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D052162:Human papillomavirus 16 / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D037841:Pregnant People; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral
keywords: HPV DNA; Human papillomavirus; Pregnancy