HPV GENOTYPES AND CYTOLOGIC ASSESSMENT IN WOMEN INFECTED WITH HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS, HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM

Abstract

Up-to-date data on HPV infection and cervical abnormalities are essential for effective screening and prevention of cervical cancer.  This study evaluated the association among cytologic abnormalities, HPV prevalence and genotype distribution among women undergoing cervical screening in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.  A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in women (n = 589) 18 years of age and above from May to July 2022.  Cytologic diagnosis was performed using the Papanicolaou test, and HPV genotypes were identified using quantitative PCR.  The HPV prevalence was 9.8%, with 86% infected with a single genotype.  The high-risk HPV genotypes, HPV-16 (22.5%) and HPV-58 (27.5%) were most prevalent.  Cytologic abnormalities were observed in 5.9% (n = 35) of the cases, primarily atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (4.1%) and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (1.9%).  HPV-16 and HPV-58 infections showed a significant association with abnormal cytologic findings.  These findings demonstrate the importance of integrating HPV genotyping with cytologic screening in helping to improve the country’s cervical cancer prevention programs.