Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) viral load and persistence of HPV-16 infection in women infected or at risk for HIV

• Published in: Journal of clinical virology Vol. 43; no. 3; pp. 307 - 312
• Main Authors: Fontaine, Julie, Hankins, Catherine, Money, Deborah, Rachlis, Anita, Pourreaux, Karina, Ferenczy, Alex, Coutlée, François
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01-11-2008; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Allergy and Immunology; Biological and medical sciences; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Child; CIN; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; HIV; HIV Infections - complications; HPV; HPV-16; Human immunodeficiency virus; Human papillomavirus 16; Human papillomavirus 16 - isolation & purification; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infectious Disease; Infectious diseases; Longitudinal Studies; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Papillomavirus Infections - virology; Risk Factors; Vagina - virology; Viral diseases; Viral load; Virology; HPV-16; CIN; HIV; Viral load; HPV; Human; Microbiology; Retroviridae; Papovaviridae; Lentivirus; Virology; Papillomavirus; Virus; Infection; Human papillomavirus 16; Human papillomavirus; Female; Human immunodeficiency virus
• ISSN: 1386-6532; 1873-5967
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2008.07.013

Abstract Background Persistent HPV-16 infection is a marker for risk of progression to high-grade cervical lesions. The predictive value of HPV-16 viral loads for persistent HPV-16 infection was assessed longitudinally in a cohort of 1055 sexually active women. Methods HPV-16 viral loads were measured with real-time PCR targeting the E6 gene in 948 genital specimens collected from 139 women (100 HIV-seropositive, 39 HIV-seronegative). Results Forty of 139 participants were classified as having persistent HPV-16 infection (lasting more than 12 months) and 27 women had transient infection. CD4 counts were negatively correlated with HPV-16 loads ( R = −0.29, p = 0.02). In multivariate analysis controlling for age, HIV, race and CD4 counts, peak HPV-16 viral loads (odds ratio (OR) 1.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0–1.7) and CD4 cell counts (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.1–3.6) were associated with persistence of HPV-16 infection. Women with ≥107 HPV-16 copies/μg cellular DNA were infected for a longer period of time than women with a lower viral load after controlling for age, CD4 count and HIV status ( p = 0.01). Conclusion Higher HPV-16 viral loads were predictive of persistence of HPV-16 infection, a marker risk for potential progression to high-grade pre-cancerous and cancerous lesions of the cervix.