Prevalence of Human Papillomavirus Genotypes in Women from Cozumel, Mexico

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) subtypes 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59 and 68 have been implicated in the development of cervical cancer (CC). These 13 high risk HPV types have been shown to be present in up to 99.7% of CC samples. In Mexico, this cancer is the leading cause of death from malignancy among women. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of different HPV genotypes and investigate epidemiological aspects associated with HPV infection in women from Cozumel. Material and methods: We performed an epidemiological, prospective and cross sectional study with 1,187 who accepted participation in a campaign of screening for CC, during the period 2014 to 2015. Data on epidemiological and socio-economic variables were obtained. Cervical cells were collected for detection of HPV DNA and typing of HPV-positive samples by Multiplex PCR, using a commercial kit for 16 viral genotypes. Results: The overall prevalence of HPV in women from Cozumel was 15.8 % (188/1,187), either single (13.6%) or multiple (2.19 %). The most common HPV types , in descending order of frequency, were 58 (24.5 %), 59 (13.3 %), 39 (12.2 %) and 66 (9.6 %). The most frequent high risk types were HPV-58 and -59 and of low risk HPV types the most common was HPV-6. Number of sexual partners (OR=4.78; 95% CI= 2.73-8.37; P=<0.0001) and age of first coitus (OR=0.51; 95% CI=0.32-0.81; P=<0.0011) were significantly associated with HPV infection. Conclusions: Our data indicate that the overall incidence of high risk HPV infection in Cozumel is low as compared to other studies worldwide, with a different profile of subtypes. However, as expected, risky sexual behavior was found associated with positive cases of HPV. These results highlight the need for establish strategies to prevent HPV acquisition and evaluate the impact of a vaccine application in the Cozumel population.