Clinical Significance of the Interaction between Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Type 16 and Other High-Risk Human Papillomaviruses in Women with Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN) and Invasive Cervical Cancer

The aim is to evaluate the clinical consequences of coinfection between HPV 16 and other high-risk HPVs among women with a histological diagnosis of CIN or invasive cervical cancer. A total of 2985 women, with a diagnosis of either CIN or cancer (<IB) on cervical or cone biopsy, were included. HPV genotypes were identified using the INNO-LiPA HPV genotyping assay, version EXTRA, on cervical scraping, before the colposcopic evaluation and the colposcopic biopsies or conization. In the overall population, HPV16 interacted positively with HPV18 (RR = 2, 95% CI 1.5–2.6) and negatively with HPV33, 51, 52, and 66, in log-linear analysis. There was an excess of CIN3 diagnoses among subjects coinfected with HPV16 and HPV18 or HPV52, although the absolute number of cases was relatively small. In a logistic model, the odds ratio of CIN3+ associated with coinfection of HPV16 and HPV18 (OR = 3.8, 95% CI 2.5–5.7, p=0.004 compared to single HPV16) or HPV52 (OR = 3.6, 95% CI 2.6–5.1, p=0.009 compared to single HPV) was higher than that associated with single HPV 16 infections. Finally, multiple infections had no effect on residual disease and did not influence the recurrence of high-grade CIN during a median follow-up of 25 months (IR 17–41). HPV16 interacted positively with HPV18 and negatively with HPV33, 51, 52, and 66 supporting the notion that HPV16 interacts mostly negatively with other HR-HPVs in CIN lesions. Among specimens coinfected with HPV16 and 18 or 52, there was an excess of CIN3+ although the impact on the prevalence of severe cervical lesions was limited.