Abstract
High-risk human papillomaviruses (HR HPV) are causally linked to cervical cancer (CC) and some other malignancies. The currently available HPV vaccines contain antigens of two HR HPV types, HPV16 and HPV18 that account for more than 70% of CC in the Czech Republic.
The study objective was to monitor the prevalence of HPV infection markers in the vaccinated population, to detect past, present, and persistent HPV infection, and to assess the effect of vaccination on subsequent HPV infection and development of atypical cervical lesions. Here we present the baseline prevalence data on the of HPV infection markers at enrolment.
Overall, 37.4% of the study cohort were HPV DNA positive, half of the females were seropositive to at least one of the antigens tested, and nearly one quarter had antibodies against HPV16/18 types. Present/persistent/past infection with HPV16/18 types was detected in 4.7%/6.7%/15.4% of the females, respectively.
Altogether 11.4% of the study cohort are at risk for reduced vaccine efficacy against HPV16/18, with the risk being highest in the age group 24-26 years (22.6%).
