Correlation between Common Lower Genital Tract Microbes and High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Infection

Abstract

Background. High-risk human papillomavirus (hr-HPV) infection is a necessary cause of cervical cancer. However, other common lower genital tract microbes may increase hr-HPV infection and their related cervical cytopathy.Methods. To confirm this hypothesis, cervical brush and vaginal swab specimens were collected from 826 adult patients who were divided into the hr-HPV-positive group (254) and the negative group (572) by real-time PCR assay. Cervical specimens were tested forUreaplasma parvum(UP),Ureaplasma urealyticum(UU), andChlamydia trachomatis(CT) using PCR analysis. Vaginal secretion was detected forTrichomonas vaginalis(TV),Candidaspp., and bacterial vaginosis (BV) with conventional assay.Results. Among hr-HPV-positive women, UP was found in 51.6%, UU in 15.4%, CT in 15.7%,Candidaspp. in 11.0%, TV in 3.1%, and BV in 20.5%. In the hr-HPV-negative group, UP was positive in 36.2%, UU in 8.6%, CT in 4.0%,Candidaspp. in 12.4%, TV in 0.2%, and BV in 7.0%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis with age-adjusted showed that UU (OR, 1.757), UP (OR, 1.804), CT (OR, 3.538), BV (OR, 3.020), and TV (OR, 14.109) were risk factors on hr-HPV infection (P<0.05).Conclusion. These microbes might induce cervical chronic inflammation that would damage the mucosal barrier and immune protection to promote the infection of hr-HPV.