Evaluation of the prevalent genotypes of human papillomavirus in the population of women in Golestan province in the northeastern of Iran

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a viral infection that usually causes growths on mucous membranes or skin (warts). It has been confirmed that there are more than 100 types of human papilloma-virus (HPV). Some types of HPV infections cause warts, and some of them may cause different types of cancer. One of the most common ways of transmitting the HPV virus is unprotected sex, and this virus is the leading cause of cancers of the urinary and genital tracts. Cervical cancer is the fourth cause of cancer death in women, and more than 90% are associated with persistent infection by one of the most dangerous types of the virus. This research aimed to determine the genotypes of the HPV virus in DNA extracted from people suspected of being infected with HPV. In this cross-sectional epidemiological study, 225 cytology samples have been obtained from people suspected of being infected with the HPV virus, who had been referred to the Pardis laboratory of medical genetics in the Gonbad for diagnosis from 2022 to 2023. DNA extraction was done by CEDBIO kit and the determination of HPV virus genotypes was done by a GENOVA kit. The analysis of the data was done by Excel software. In this research, 225 samples have been studied. 106 women were positive while 118 women were negative. Furthermore, the most common high-risk genotypes were (16, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 52, 58, 59, and 67) and (18) while the most common low-risk genotypes were (40, 42, 43, 44, 54, 61, 62, 81, 83, and 89) and (6 and 11). Moreover, the maximum age range of positive women is between 28 and 35. This study has demonstrated that the determining of dangerous genotypes is considered an essential measure in managing people infected with HPV, especially persistent infection and prevention of cervical cancer.