The relationship between HPV16 integration and cervical lesions

Aim: Cervical cancer is closely associated with persistent high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection. However, infections will persist in only 20% of the HR-HPV. The integration of the HPV DNA into the host DNA has been proposed as an early event and a risk factor for the progression of cervical lesions. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between the physical status of HPV16 and the severity of cervical lesions based on both cytology and pathology results. Materials and Methods: A total of 150 patients with cervical lesions were enrolled in this study. All patients were HPV-positive, and corresponding pathology results were acquired by biopsy. HPV infection and the expression of HPV16 E2 and E6 forms were analyzed using multiplex-PCR, while the physical status of HPV16 was evaluated using the E2/E6 ratio. Results: The analysis of Spearman rank correlation showed that there were correlations between the integration ratio for HPV16 and the severity of cervical lesions based on both cytology and pathology results (both p < 0.05). Conclusion: The integration ratio for HPV16 is closely associated with the severity of cervical lesions based on pathology and cytology and it is also an important risk factor for the persistence and progression of cervical lesions.