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RESEARCH ARTICLE

7. High prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and high-grade anal intraepithelial neoplasia in HIV-seropositive women, the EVVA study

Francois Coutlée A , Sophie Rodrigues-Coutlée A , Marie Munoz B , Marie Helene Mayrand A , Louise Charest C , Manon Auger B , Martin Marcus B , Ann Burchell D , Marina Klein B , Christina De Castro B , Helen Preziosi B and Alexandra de Pokomandy B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada.

B McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada.

C Clinique Médicale L’Actuel, Montreal, Canada.

D University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.

Sexual Health 10(6) 573-573 https://doi.org/10.1071/SHv10n6ab7
Published: 22 November 2013

Abstract

Background: Women living with HIV are at increased risk of anal HPV infection, anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN) and anal cancer. This study will describe the burden of infection and of high-grade AIN (AIN-2,3) in a population of HIV-infected women living in Montreal, Canada. Methods: HIV-seropositive women aged ≥18 years old are recruited in the cohort study EVVA. Participants are followed every 6 months for 2 years with questionnaires, cervical/anal HPV testing, cervical/anal cytology and high-resolution anoscopy (HRA). Results: Of the 116 first participants, 88 (75.9%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 67.3–82.8) were infected by HPV in the anal canal. In contrast, 58 of these participants (50%, 95% CI 41.1–59.0) had cervical HPV infection). The most frequent types were HPV16 (n = 19), HPV51 (n = 18), HPV81 and HPV62 (n = 15 each), and HPV45 and HPV58 (n = 14 for each). An average of 2.3 ± 3.1 HPV types (median of 1) were detected per anal sample. Of the 89 participants with satisfactory cytology, 5 had high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions. HRA from 95 women revealed 17 AIN2,3 (17.9%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 11.4–26.9), 43 AIN1 (45.3%, 95% CI 35.6–55.3), and only 35 without AIN (36.8%, 95% CI 27.8–46.9). Biopsies from 4 women gave undetermined results. Conclusions: Our study revealed that anal HPV infection was more frequently detected than cervical infection in HIV-seropositive women. Prevalent AIN2,3 is a significant problem in women infected with HIV. Prospective follow-up of women with AIN1 will disclose the proportion of women with progressive AIN.