Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has been considered as a significant etiological factor and an important prognosticator in cervical cancer. Indeed, researchers have confirmed the role of high-risk human papillomaviruses in over 70% of cervical cancer cases. Accurate molecular diagnostic techniques for HPV detection and identification are of great importance for determining and diagnosing at-risk patients. However, the medical field still lacks standardized detection/genotyping assays. Herein, we present our research on developing and validating detection and genotyping assays og HPV. We also have determined the prevalence, sociodemographic characteristics and sexual behavior as risk factors for human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in a hospital-based cohort of women in Saudi Arabia.
We have collected cervical specimens and questionnaire data from 1200 women attending clinics in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Cervical specimens were examined for abnormal cytology using a standard Pap test and for the presence of HPV-DNA using reverse line blot hybridization, Luminx and GenoFlow tests.
We have found that approximately 7% of the women were HPV-positive, 73% of them were Saudi nationals. Nearly 50% were under 40 years old (range, 22–80 years; mean ± SD, 41.20 ± 10.43 years). The most commonly detected HPV types were HPV-18 (34%) and HPV-16 (19%), with multiple infections detected in 10% of positive specimens. Multivariate analyses revealed that smoking and multiple partners were significant risk factors for HPV infection (P < 0.01).
Because of societal challenges and an unsubstantiated assumption of low HPV prevalence, few studies have examined sociodemographic characteristics or sexual behaviors associated with HPV in Saudi women. Our project will contribute greatly to the global knowledge about HPV prevealnce in Saudi Arabia as well as standardization of HPV detection and genotyping assays.