IARC 60th Anniversary - 19-21 May 2026
Session : 19/05/26 - Posters
High frequency of human polyomavirus infections and HPV co-infection in women with cervical lesions
CUFFINI C. 2,3, LEONETTO, G. 1, BARCENA VAZQUEZ A. 1, NITZLNADER, G. 1, ZAYAS S. 2, MOSMANN J. 2, BLANCO S. 1, FRUTOS M. 1, GALLEGO S. 1
1 Laboratorio de Virus Linfotrópicos Humanos Retrovirus HIV y HTLV y Poliomavirus, Instituto de Virología Dr. J. M. Vanella. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina., Córdoba, Argentina; 2 Laboratorio de Chlamydias y HPV. Facultad de Ciencias Medicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina; 3 Conicet, Córdoba, Argentina
Human polyomaviruses (HPyV) and human papillomaviruses (HPV) include oncogenic viruses that play significant roles as causative agents of various cancers. While numerous studies have established the link between HPV and cervical neoplasia, only a fraction of HPV-positive women develop cancer. It has been proposed that an interaction between HPV and HPyV could increase the risk of cervical neoplasia. Given the lack of evidence, we aimed to determine the frequency of HPyV infection and HPyV/HPV co-infection in cervical samples from women with and without lesions.
We studied 143 DNA samples from cervical swabs (CS) with a mean age of 29.3 years (range 18–55). Of these, 65 samples were from women with lesions (WWL)—both high and low-grade—and 78 were from women without lesions (WOL). Samples were analyzed via PCR to detect a fragment of the polyomavirus genome T-antigen (common to JCPyV and BKPyV), visualized by 2% agarose gel electrophoresis.
Among the 65 WWL samples, 20% (13/65) were HPyV-positive (mean age 31). Within this positive group, 84% (11/13) had low-grade lesions and 16% (2/13) had high-grade lesions. Additionally, 30.8% (4/13) of HPyV-positive samples showed HPV co-infection (genotypes 6, 11, 16, and 45). Regarding reproductive health, 53.8% (7/13) used oral contraceptives (OC) and were nulligravida/nulliparous, while 15.4% (2/13) had a history of abortion.
In the WOL group, 25.6% (20/78) were HPyV-positive (mean age 28.6), with 5% (1/20) showing HPV co-infection (genotype 18). In this group, 60% (12/20) used OC, and 70% (14/20) had no history of pregnancy, birth, or abortion.
This is the first report screening for HPyV in cervical samples from women with and without lesions. The high prevalence of HPyV indicates a need for further study to determine the clinical implications, particularly for the group with lesions where a high rate of viral co-infection was found. This study provides a foundation for future research to improve prevention and management strategies for cervical viral infections, contributing to women's health.