Human Papillomavirus Genotyping and Viral Load as a Predictor of Cervical Lesions: A Prospective Study

This prospective study aims to examine the impact of changes in viral load on the occurrence of cervical lesions and to evaluate viral load as a biomarker for predicting cervical lesions and triaging HPV-positive patients. From September 2022 to August 2023, 1150 women aged 25-60 were enrolled at the Changzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital. All participants tested positive for HPV and negative for both cytology and pathology. A follow-up was conducted 6 months later to reassess HPV status and perform colposcopy. BMRT was employed to detect various HPV types and their viral loads. The ROC curve was utilized to determine the viral load cut-off values for different HPV types to predict cervical lesions. From baseline to follow-up, women whose HPV infection cleared were significantly younger than those with persistent HPV infection (p < 0.001). At baseline, the viral loads of the virus clearance, maintenance, and progression groups demonstrated an increasing trend (p < 0.001). Among women diagnosed with CIN during follow-up, the viral load increased significantly from baseline to follow-up (p = 0.001). The combination of HPV genotyping and viral load in the initial screening of cervical cancer enhances the prediction and identification of cervical lesions.