Trichomonas vaginalis as a risk factor for human papillomavirus: a study with women undergoing cervical cancer screening in a northeast region of Brazil

• Published in: BMC women's health Vol. 21; no. 1; pp. 174 - 8
• Main Authors: Belfort, Ilka Kassandra Pereira, Cunha, Ana Paula Almeida, Mendes, Francisco Pedro Belfort, Galvão-Moreira, Leonardo Victor, Lemos, Renata Gaspar, de Lima Costa, Lucas Henrique, Monteiro, Pablo, Ferreira, Mariele Borges, Dos Santos, Gerusinete Rodrigues Bastos, Costa, Joyce Leal, de Sá Ferreira, Alice, Brito, Luiz Gustavo Oliveira, Brito, Luciane Maria Oliveira, Vidal, Flávia Castello Branco, Monteiro, Sally Cristina Moutinho
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 23-04-2021; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Alphapapillomavirus; Brazil; Cellular biology; Cervical cancer; Co-infection; Complications and side effects; Condoms; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; Early Detection of Cancer; Female; Human papillomavirus; Humans; Infections; Medical screening; Multivariate analysis; Pap smear; Papillomaviridae - genetics; Papillomavirus infections; Papillomavirus Infections - complications; Papillomavirus Infections - diagnosis; Papillomavirus Infections - epidemiology; Parasitic diseases; Prevalence; Risk Factors; Risk taking; Sexually transmitted diseases; Sexually transmitted infection; Software; Statistics; STD; Trichomonas vaginalis; Trichomoniasis; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Viral infections; Womens health; Brazil; United States > US; Trichomonas vaginalis; Sexually transmitted infection; Human papillomavirus; Co-infection
• ISSN: 1472-6874; 1472-6874
• DOI: 10.1186/s12905-021-01320-6

Human papillomavirus (HPV) and Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) infections are the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) globally. The latter has contributed to a variety of adverse outcomes for both sexes. Moreover, in Brazil, epidemiological studies on patients with STIs are limited. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of TV and its association with HPV in women undergoing cervical cancer screening.
Women with a normal cervix were recruited from a community-based cervical cancer screening program. Gynecological examinations were conducted, and questionnaires were provided. Vaginal canal and uterine cervix samples were collected for cytological examinations (reported using the 2001 Bethesda System) and tested for the presence of TV and HPV DNA.
In total, 562 women who attended public primary healthcare were included in the study. The T. vaginalis was present in 19.0% (107) and HPV DNA was present in 46.8% (263) of women. Among the women of TV 73.8% (79) had a co-infection with HPV (p = 0.001).
We concluded that a TV infection is associated with an HPV infection of the cervix as well as with the cervical cytological abnormalities. Further studies could reveal the mechanisms by which these two organisms interact at the cellular level, with control for shared behavioral risk factors.