Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia Grade 3 (CIN3) in Women Younger than 30 Years Was Significantly Associated with HPV16/18 Genotypes

Simple Summary: The present study aimed to evaluate the age-related distribution of HPV 16/18 genotypes and non-16/18 HPV genotypes in unvaccinated women. CIN3 in women younger than 30 years was significantly associated with HPV16/18 genotypes. The surprising fact of the present study is represented by the fact that in women under the age of 30, almost 90% of CIN3 cases were associated with HPV16/18, while CIN3 with non-16/18 HPV genotypes develops slowly and in older age. The data from the present study suggest that the risk of CIN3 is related to the woman's age and hr HPV genotype. These data are essential to optimize current and future screening programs. Background. The objective of the present study is to investigate the age-specific distribution of HPV genotypes in CIN3 lesions in screened unvaccinated women. These data are essential to optimize current and future screening programs. Methods. A multicenter retrospective study was conducted. A total of 408 unvaccinated women with positive histology and a high-risk HPV genotype were enrolled. Each woman at baseline had HPV DNA testing and HPV genotyping, and all women underwent targeted biopsy and/or treatment with a loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) before entering the study. We divided the genotypes into HPV16/18 and HPV non-16/18 (HPV31/33/45/35/39/51/52/58/59/66/68). Women were divided into increasing age categories: <30, 30-44, and >= 45. Results. The percentage of CIN3 associated with HPV16/18 is maximum in women under 30 years of age (85.1%), drops to 75.6% in women aged between 30 and 44 years, and up to 47.2% in women over 45 years. CIN3 in women younger than 30 years was significantly associated with HPV16/18 genotypes (p = 0). Discussion. The data from the present study suggest that the risk of CIN3 is related to the woman's age and hr HPV genotype. The data highlight two different types of CIN3: a more frequent type, related to HPV16/18, which develops rapidly and in young women, and another, relating to non-16/18 HPV, which develops later at an advanced age and slowly, through low-grade lesions.