RESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) in Israeli patients with cervical cancer and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 3 (CIN3), to describe the distribution of the virus genotypes among positive cases, to characterize patients positive to HPV and, in particular, patients positive to HPV-16 and/or -18, and to evaluate the possible contribution of implementing HPV vaccination in Israel. METHODS: Samples from 84 patients with cervical cancer and 886 patients with CIN3, archived at the Maccabi Institute of Pathology, were screened for HPV. DNA extraction was performed using DNeasy Blood and Tissue Kit/QIAGEN. HPV detection and typing were performed by multiplex polymerase chain reaction with primers E6/E7, using the f-HPV/Genomed kit. RESULTS: Of the samples from 84 patients with cervical cancer, 89.3% were positive for HPV. Among these positive samples, HPV-16 was found in 70.7% and HPV-18 was found in 9.3%. Of the samples from 886 patients with CIN3, 85.0% were positive for HPV. Among these positive samples, HPV-16 was found in 73.8% and HPV-18 was found in 1.1%. In the patients with CIN3, the prevalence of HPV genotypes 16 and/or 18 was higher among young women and decreased across age groups. In addition, age, being born in Israel, being born in Europe, and being born in the former Soviet Union were correlated with a low risk of being infected with genotypes 16 and/or 18. DISCUSSION: The prevalence of HPV-16 and -18 in patients with cervical cancer and CIN3 in Israel is high. It is expected that the implementation of routine vaccination against these types of HPV will significantly reduce the burden of these diseases in Israel.