A Longitudinal Study of Human Papillomavirus DNA Detection in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type I-Seropositive and-Seronegative Women

Cervicovaginal lavage samples from 124 human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-sero-positive and 126 HIV-I-seronegative women were collected monthly for 8 months and tested for human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA. The estimated prevalence ofHPV was 42.8 % in HIV-I-se-ropositive and 13.4 % in-seronegative women (P <.00l). There was no significant difference in HPV DNA detection in HIV-I-seropositive women with CD4 cell counts of <300/mmJ (50% HPV-positive), 300-499/mm3 (36.4 % HPV-positive), or ~500/mm3 (40.5 % HPV-positive). However, HIV-I-seropositive women who were more immunocompromised, as indicated by lower CD4 cell counts, were more likely to shed HPV persistently. The quantity of HPV DNA detected in cervicovaginallavage samples was similar in HIV-I-seropositive and-seronegative women. This study further defined the characteristicsof HPV infections in HIV-I-infected women. Recent reports have provided compelling evidence of an association between human papillomavirus (HPV) and hu-man immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-I) in men and women (reviewed in [1,2]). Both HPV infection and HPV-associated anogenital disease have been associated wit