Molecular investigations of prevalence of human papillomavirus in Lithuania

Abstract

HPV is one of the major risk factors of cervical cancer and precancerous changes. Infection with its oncogenic types determines a  faster progress of pre-cancer changes. Women infected with oncogenic HPV types or multiple HPV infection must be under careful observation of a gynaecologist. The aim of this article is to identify infection of women who have various cytological changes in the cervix with the HPV and its genotypes by means of molecular methods. A total of 99 women took part in the  investigation (the experimental group is 33 women, the control group is 66). Flat epithelium cells from the cervix were taken to determine HPV, and DNA was isolated from all samples. The isolated DNA was studied to determine general HPV, and positive samples were genotyped (HV6/11, HPV16, HPV18, HPV31, HPV33, HPV45 and HPV59) by multiplex PCR. Having carried out HPV tests, twice as high incidence rate of infection with HPV in the experimental group than that in the control group was established (40 and 21%, respectively). High cancer risk HPV genotypes were determined in 62% of women in the experimental group, whereas in the control group oncogenic HPVs of HPV16 and HPV31 genotypes were identified in 36% of women. Double HPV infection was diagnosed in 4 women in the experimental group, which can determine a faster progress of pre-cancer intra-epithelial lesions.