IARC 60th Anniversary - 19-21 May 2026
Session : 19/05/26 - Posters
Self-Collected Cytobrush as a Game-Changer for Multiplex high-risk HPV, C.trachomatis, N.gonorrhoea Screening and Seroprevalence of Hepatitis B virus
MAHENGE A. 1, MWALONGO W. 1, MNKAI J. 1, SUDI L. 1, MCHARO M. 1, MBWILO F. 1, KISINDA A. 1, MATILDA P. 1, MGAYA R. 1, OLOMI W. 1, E MUNGA S. 3, MAYAUD P. 2, IVANOVA O. 5, KROIDL A. 4,5, CHRISTOF G. 4,5, MCHARO R. 1
1 National Institute for Medical Research -Mbeya Medical Research Centre (NIMR-MMRC), Mbeya, Tanzania; 2 London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London, United Kingdom; 3 Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Institute of Public Health, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College (KCMUCo), Moshi, Tanzania, Moshi, Tanzania; 4 Germany Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany; 5 Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, LMU, Munich, Germany
Background: Currently, it is not clear whether co-infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) may promote highly oncogenic HPV persistence and progression of cervical lesions to Cervical cancer. We explore the quality of self-cytobrush in HPV detection and associations with other STIs in young Tanzanian women.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study from April 2020 to June 2021 among women aged 18-24 from Universities in Mbeya, Tanzania. Female students were randomly selected from a stratified sample. Self-administered questionnaires, blood, and a self-vaginal cytobrush were obtained from female participants. Anyplex 14HR-HPV assay detected 14hr-HPV and 7-essential STIs for mucosal STIs from HPV-DNA using a multiplex CFX96 RT-PCR system. We also performed serological testing for HIV, Syphilis and HBV.
Results: Among 166 young women recruited from five universities in the Mbeya region. The HPV-DNA concentration was sufficient in 98.7%. Prevalence of 14hr-HPV was 60.7%, with 49% being multiple infections. HPV16/18 accounted for 26.8%, C. trachomatis 13.2%, HBV 9.8%, N.gonorrhoea 1.2%. Seroprevalence of HIV was 1.3% and Syphilis 1.8%. The distribution of highly oncogenic hr-HPV genotypes was HPV16-19.5%, HPV18-8.7%, HPV35-8.5%, and HPV 45-3.1%. Among cases, a significant association of HBV co-infection was observed with HPV16-31.2%, p=0.036; HPV18-18.8%, p=0.009. Dual or triple infection of HPV52/68/56/59 with CT/NG was reported p<0.055. In multivariate analysis, being in the third year at the university and lack of contraception use were significantly associated with hr-HPV infection.
Conclusion: We found that a self-cytobrush is easily implementable and can provide adequate HPV-DNA. The higher prevalence of HPV/HBV coexistence and other STIs is a cause for concern. There is a paramount need to promote awareness of HPV infections and other STIs. These findings have implications for further epidemiological studies.