HUMAN PAPILLOMA-VIRUS TYPES IN ROUTINE CYTOLOGICAL SCREENING AND AT COLPOSCOPIC EXAMINATIONS

Certain types of human papillomaviruses (HPV) play a crucial role in t he development of anogenital cellular dysplasia and cancer. We have se arched for a broad spectrum of HPV-types by PCR in cervical cell sampl es from 230 women aged 20-29 years enrolled at routine gynecological h ealth control and 506 women referred to colposcopy due to suspected cy tological changes. Thirteen percent of the health control women had HP V DNA of identified types. Half of the colposcopy patients showed beni gn histology with corresponding HPV DNA prevalence of 18%, while among the patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia between 61% and 78% had HPV DNA. Among both women with normal cytology or histology an d those with various degrees of cervical dysplasia, cancer-related HPV types represented about 85% of the types found. The strong correlatio n between HPV infections and development of cervical dysplasia is an a rgument for HPV DNA testing of certain patient groups.