Genotypic distribution and prevalence of human papillomavirus infection in an apparently healthy female population in Bangladesh

Shahana Sharmin; Bristy Sabikunnahar; Arpita Aditya; Md Abdullah-Al-Kamran Khan; Ashrafun Nessa; Chowdhury Rafiqul Ahsan; Mahmuda Yasmin

doi:10.1016/j.ijregi.2021.10.005

Genotypic distribution and prevalence of human papillomavirus infection in an apparently healthy female population in Bangladesh

IJID Reg. 2021 Oct 21:1:130-134. doi: 10.1016/j.ijregi.2021.10.005. eCollection 2021 Dec.

Authors

Shahana Sharmin¹, Bristy Sabikunnahar¹, Arpita Aditya¹, Md Abdullah-Al-Kamran Khan², Ashrafun Nessa³, Chowdhury Rafiqul Ahsan¹, Mahmuda Yasmin¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Microbiology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh.
² Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Brac University, Dhaka, 1212, Bangladesh.
³ Department of Gynecological Oncology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh.

Abstract

Objective: Human papillomavirus (HPV) comprises around 120 genotypically related viruses, classified into low- and high-risk HPVs, which are capable of replicating inside the keratinocytes of skin or mucous membranes. Studies suggest that infections with HPV-16 or HPV-18 have a higher rate of developing cancer. The aim of our study was to detect HPV early, and to estimate the genotype-specific prevalence of HPV in apparently healthy and asymptomatic females in Bangladesh.

Method: After cervical swab specimen collection, a VIA test was performed to identify any type of abnormality in the cervix. A multiplex PCR amplification of HPV DNA, using L1 consensus primer systems, was performed with type-specific primers, followed by sequencing to detect HPV genotypes.

Result: Of the 417 females, 121 were found to be HPV positive. The most prevalent high-risk HPV genotypes were found to be HPV-16 and HPV-18. Different patient demographic parameters, such as age, socioeconomic status, education, and history of first intercourse, were also studied to establish correlations with HPV infection.

Conclusion: Our results might provide some insights into factors that influence the development of cervical cancer. They might also help in guiding better patient management, increased public health awareness, further testing, and the implementation of existing vaccines.

Keywords: HPV-16; HPV-18; asymptomatic women; cervical cancer; demography; human papillomavirus.