The Impact of Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Human Papillomavirus Co-Infection on HPV Genotype Distribution and Cervical Lesion Grade in a Semi-Urban Population in Tigoni, Kenya

Abstract

Cervical cancer is an important global public health problem and a common cause of death among women, and it is attributable to human papillomavirus (HPV) (Walboomers et al, 1999; Parkin et al, 2008). In a large series of invasive cervical cancers from around the world, HPV-DNA was detected in 99.7% of the tumors, leading to the conclusion that HPV was a necessary cause of cervical cancer (Bosch et al, 1995; Walboomers et al, 1999; Bosch et al, 2007). The identification of HPV’s role in cervical cancer has led to important advances in primary prevention through vaccination and diagnosis through HPV detection (Stanley et al, 2008; Bosch et al, 2008). However, tangible reduction in the incidence of cervical cancer and the impact on global public health will probably take decades. As HPV types are divergent, the efficacy of current vaccines is type-restricted, and therefore, the development of the next generation of HPV vaccines will require inclusion of relevant antigens from several HPV types (Lowy, 2008). Geographical profiling of HPV type distribution will be important in making vaccines more relevant for the target population