Studio Cross-sectional dell'infezione da Papilloma Virus (HPV) e del caricinoma della cervice uterina nella popolazione del Nord-Sardegna

<b>Aim:</b> Within the research project about the cervical infection epidemiology caused by Papillomavirus in Northen Sardinia, a cross-sectional study was performed to define the prevalence value and moreover genotypes' diffusion among the geographical area. <br/> <b>Methods:</b> 340 women were subjected to pap tests at the Gynaecological Clinic of the University of Sassari and specialist clinics. Biological samples were sent at the Institute of Pathological Anatomy for the cytological analysis and at the Institute of Hygiene and Medicine Prevention to research viral DNA with molecular test (INNO-LiPA) and the home made Real Time PCR. <br/> <b>Results:</b> the sample examinated was 96% of Italian nationality, most with a higher education degree (50%); 58% has performed the cytology in the last 3 years. The prevalence of infection was 35,3%, which decreases linearly in the advanced age groups. Between high-risk genotypes (75,8%), HPV16 (55%), HPV51 (36,6%) and HPV18 (5,0%) were the most frequent; among those at low risk HPV6 (45,5%), HPV11 (21,2%) and HPV40 (2,5%). The co-infections have been frequent (17,5%), mainly incurred by HPV genotypes 16 and 51 (57,1%).<br/> <b>Conclusions:</b> The HPV infection prevalence values are similar those reported in studies conducted in other geographical areas. Even in northern Sardinia genotype HPV16 is the most frequent, however is necessary to implement the number of samples to verify the high presence of genotype HPV51 and the lower circulation of genotype HPV18.