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Human papillomaviruses in cervical specimens of women residing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: a hospital-based study
Mohammed N Al-Ahdal1, Walaa K Al-Arnous, Marie F Bohol
1King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. ahdal@kfshrc.edu.sa.
Introduction:
Certain genotypes of human papillomavirus (HPV) are linked to cervical abnormalities. HPV DNA and genotype prevalence among women residing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is investigated in this hospital-based study.
Methodology:
Cervical specimens were taken from 519 subjects along with consent and demographic data. DNA was extracted and PCR was performed on all specimens using general primers. Low- and high-risk HPV genotypes were determined by reverse blot hybridization assay using specific probes. SPSS version 17 was used for the data analysis.
Results:
Of 519 cervical specimens, 164 (31.6%) were positive for HPV DNA. There was a significant association between HPV positivity and abnormal cytology (p < 0.00001). Even though the HPV positivity was relatively high, the squamous intraepithelial lesions were minimal, with one low grade and one high grade case among those HPV DNA-positive specimens. Regardless of single or multiple infections per specimen, HPV-16 was found in 87.8%, followed by HPV-18 in 86%, and HPV-11 in 78.3%.
Conclusions:
Amplification technology showed that HPV is common among women in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with a strong association between HPV infection and cytological changes. HPV-16 was the most frequent genotype but had a low prevalence of cervical cancer.
