Distribution of human papillomavirus types in Turkish women

Purpose of investigation: Since oncogenic types of human papillomavirus (HPV) are associated with a higher risk of cervical cancer and certain types can be controlled by a vaccine, a study has been performed to determine the HPV genotype distribution among Turkish women. Methods: The study included patients with abnormal cytology or in the follow-up for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia between 2002 and 2009 at Hacettepe University Hospital. The results of 1,797 consecutive cervical samples were analyzed retrospectively. INNO-LiPA HPV genotyping, HPV-Typing and Seeplex HPV 18-plex genotyping tests were used to determine the types of HPV. Results: HPV was detected in 404 (22.4%) of 1,797 samples studied. HPV DNA was identified in 194 cases by using HPV-Typing test but the specific genotype was not available. The most frequent genotype was HPV 16 which was observed in 103 cases (49.0%). Conclusion: HPV 16 was the most common genotype observed among Turkish women with abnormal cytology. It suggests that HPV vaccination may be useful for prevention of cervical cancer in this population.