Prevalence and Genotype of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) in Cervical Smear in Sokoto, North-Western Nigeria: A sentinel study to guide vaccination

Abstract

Background: Cancer of the cervix uteri is the most common gynaecological cancer and a leading cause of cancer mortality among women in the developing countries, including Nigeria, with high-risk HPV being the major aetiological factor. Aims: This study is aimed at estimating the prevalence of high-risk HPV infection in Sokoto, North-Western Nigeria. Methodology: This was a prospective cross-sectional study. Relevant information social and demographic information were obtained through personal interviews using structured questionnaire. Two Samples (LBC and HPV) were collected from 84 consenting participants who visited the gynaecological clinic during the study period. LBC smear was obtained, and smear results were classified using The Bethesda System of classification, 2014. Hybribio 21 HPV Geno array test kit with polymerase Chain Reaction for the HPV DNA detection was used. Results: Out of 84 sample tested for HR-HPV, 72 (88.9.%) cases were negative, while 12 cases were positive for HR-HPV constituting 14.3 % of the cases. The HR-HPV were seen more among the age group of 25-30yrs (33.3%) and the HPV genotype identified include 13, 16, 31, 33, 39, 45, 51, 52 and 58 respectively. Out of the 12 positive cases, three of the cases shows co-infections with other HR-HPV genotypes (16 & 52, 31 &33, and 39 & 51 respectively) and single infection by the 13,31,45,52, and 58 respectively. Three cases each were infected by HR-HPV 13 and 58 being the most common infections, followed by HR-HPV 31 and 52 infecting two cases each and the remaining (16,33,39,45,51), one case each. Conclusion: This study shows that HR- HPV 13 and 58 are the most common HPV subtype, follow by HPV 31 and 52 in our environment.