Human Papillomavirus Infection of the Cervix

In 1992 Lorincz et al. were the first to evaluate the clinicopathologic correlation with 11 recently identified human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes: 31, 33, 35, 42, 43, 44, 45, 51, 52, 56, and 58. Using cervical samples from 8 studies that included specimens from 2627 women, HPV genotypes were categorized by the likelihood of association with grades of cervical neoplasia (from normal to cancer). These findings were the basis of the determination that (a) HPV causes cervical cancer, (b) detection of the cancer associated HPV genotypes could identify women at risk for cervical pre-cancer and cancer, and (c) a prophylactic HPV vaccine should include protection against (at least) HPV 16 and 18.