Presence of oncogenic human papillomavirus infections in female population from southern Italy, correlation with cyto-histological abnormalities and implications in vaccine campaign

Abstract number: O502

Tagliaferro L., Menegazzi P., Reho E., Barzon L., Palù G.

Objectives: The advent of some HPV prophylactic vaccines increased the necessity to improve the knowledge of local viral type distribution to survey the impact of vaccination on HPV-related diseases. Actually, few epidemiological data are available in Italy, so we evaluated the presence of oncogenic HPVs in female population from South of Italy and their correlation with cervical cyto-histological abnormalities.

Methods: 654 genital samples, collected from 2003 to 2008, were investigated for HPV presence and matched with PAP test results and histological data, when available.

HPV typing was performed by a commercial assay, able to detect up to 28 genotypes.

Results: HPV DNA was detected in 45.9% of samples, 41.7% of which had multiple infection. In women with single infection, the most common HPV types were HPV-6 and HPV-16, followed by HPV-51, HPV-31, HPV-53 and HPV-66, whereas in women with multiple infections HPV-6 was the most commonly detected type, followed by HPV-66, HPV-31, HPV-16 and HPV-51.

A different distribution of HPV types and a higher rate of multiple infections were observed in young vs. older women, suggesting the existence of a natural selection of HPVs which preserve a better fitness. High-risk HPVs were detected in all high-grade cervical intraepithelial lesions, with HPV-16, HPV-18, HPV-31, and HPV-51 as the most frequent types. However, HR-HPV types were detected also in a high rate of women with a negative Pap test as well as in women with a negative cervical biopsy, suggesting the need to improve the accuracy of available cervical cancer screening tests.

Conclusion: The results of this study, which provide information on the epidemiology of HPV infection and type distribution in women from South Italy, should be taken into consideration in the implementation of local vaccination programs.