Determination of human papillomavirus (HPV) load and type in high-grade cervical lesions surgically resected from HIV-infected women during follow-up of HPV infection.

Background: The role of human papillomavirus (HPV) load and the importance of multiple-strain HPV infections as biomarkers for the development of cervical disease were evaluated in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive women.

Methods: A total of 108 samples were analyzed, 64 of which were obtained from 16 HIV-positive women who underwent surgical resection of the cervical cone for treatment of a histologically confirmed high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasm (cases) and 44 of which were obtained from 22 HIV-positive women who had high-risk HPV but a negative colposcopy result (controls). Each patient underwent periodic examinations at 6-12-month intervals that included colposcopy, Papanicolaou testing, biopsy (if indicated), and cervical brushing for HPV testing.