ABSTRACT
Background Cervical lesions, often linked to high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection, pose a significant public health concern globally. Human HPV is considered the principal etiological factor in the development and transformation of pre-malignant lesions of the cervix leading to cervical carcinoma. The global distribution of HPV genotypes exhibits significant variability, liable to be influenced by the intricate interplay of geographical and biological factors among different HPV types and host immunogenetic elements. Owing to limited research addressing the genotypic distribution of HR-HPV in females with cervical lesions in the western zone of India, this study aims to bridge this gap by providing the prevalence of HR-HPV genotypes in women diagnosed with cervical lesions in this zone. Methodology This observational, cross-sectional study was performed in the Laboratory for Genotype Detection in the western zone of India. The study population comprised a total of 215 females in the age range of 18 to 60 years. A thorough examination of clinical specimens was conducted employing molecular techniques for HPV genotyping using TRUPCR® HPV-HR with a 16/18 Genotyping Kit. DNA Extraction was done using 3B Blackbio Biotech India Ltd. as per the standard protocol. The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 28 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA), and continuous variables were compared using Student's t-test. Results The overall prevalence of HR-HPV in women with cervical lesions in the western zone of India was 62.32% (134/215). The most prevalent genotype was HPV16 at 92/134 (68.65%), followed by HPV18 at 33/134 (24.62%) and HPV52 at 9/134 (6.7%). The overall prevalence of single type was 56.71% (76/134). The most prevalent genotype combination after HPV18 + 59 (29.85%) at 40/134 was HPV52 + 39 + 51 (13.43%) at 18/134. HR-HPV infection was found to be significantly (p < 0.05) associated with factors such as having three or more children, having a lower socioeconomic status, residing in rural areas, and being in a pre-menopausal stage. Conclusions This study focused on assessing the prevalence of the genotypes associated with HR-HPV infection, providing valuable insights into the epidemiology of cervical lesions in the western zone of India. The findings revealed high-risk genotype HPV16 to be the most prevalent type, followed by HPV18 and HPV52. The most prevalent genotype combinations were HPV18 + 59 and HPV52 + 39 + 51. The results of the study would potentiate the wealth of epidemiological data related to HPV infection in cervical lesions and could be employed for guiding future interventions and preventive strategies through orientation programs.
