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Published on: March 8, 2012
The persistence of HPV type-specific infections in patients following colposcopic examination: An observational study
Serkan Akis1, Canan Kabaca1, Yunus Emre Purut2
1Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Aim:
High-risk HPV infection is a necessary but not sufficient factor for the development of precancerous lesions and cervical cancer. Beyond mere HPV positivity, the persistence of infection over time plays a crucial role. This study aims to evaluate the clearance and persistence rates of HPV 16 and 18 genotypes.
Methods:
The cervical cytology results were reported using the 2014 Bethesda System classification. The cervical cytology samples were analyzed using the Roche Cobas® 4800 HPV tests. Patients with any HPV genotype other than 16 or 18, those with missing data, those who were lost to follow-up, those who underwent excisional procedures or hysterectomy, and those with high-grade cervical dysplasia were excluded from this study.
Results:
Among 191 patients (mean age: 41.2 ± 0.6 years, 16.8% postmenopausal), the mean follow-up was 21.6 ± 0.7 months. No significant differences were found between the clearance and persistence groups in age, follow-up duration, cervical biopsy, or endocervical curettage results. However, HPV 16 had a higher persistence rate (28.2%), and abnormal cytology was more frequent in the persistence group (p = 0.038).
Conclusions:
Around 25% of patients had persistent HPV infection. Close monitoring is essential for those with CIN 1 on initial colposcopy, as they may have a higher risk of progressing to high-grade dysplasia compared to those without dysplasia.
