Human immunodeficiency virus-induced immunosuppression: a risk factor for human papillomavirus infection

In a group of 92 women with genital condylomata, 15 (16.3%) human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients were found, whereas no case was detected in a control group of 100 women. The relative risk was greater than 19.28. Human immunodeficiency-positive status was associated with other parameters: lower age and parity, major frequency of induced abortions, and sexually transmitted diseases. Thus although human immunodeficiency-positive status seems to be a true risk factor in relation to the altered immunologic state, an indirect association cannot be discarded. Such patients should be screened closely for human papillomavirus infection and cervical cancer. Among human immunodeficiency-positive women, a more resistant behavior of human papillomavirus-associated lesions was detected (recurrence-persistence of 41.7% versus 12%), a fact that might also be in relation to the immunodepressed status.