Dynamics of HPV16 DNA load reflect the natural history of cervical HPV-associated lesions

Abstract

Background: High burden of high risk human papillomavirus (HR HPV) has been shown to be predictive for the development of high grade cervical lesions and invasive cancers. However, low viral load cannot inevitably exclude progression towards cervical diseases. Moreover, few studies addressed whether viral load could predict infection clearance. Objectives: We carried out a retrospective study to analyze the variations of HPV16 load over time as a predictive marker of clinical outcome. Study design: The population consisted of 38 women who were found HR HPV positive by HCII® test at study entry. Among them, 13 had developed a CIN2/3 (cases) and 25 had a negative HCII® test and a normal cytolo..