The natural history of genital HPV infection directly influences the prognosis of cervical dysplasia as measured by persistence of the lesion. Testing for HPV infection may be valuable in the clinical management of women with cervical dysplasia.

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Although genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is well established as the etiologic agent for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), little is known about the cofactors involved in the development of high-grade lesions or the progression of low-grade to high-grade lesions. In our study of HPV-infected women with CIN (163 CIN I, 51 CIN II and 44 CIN III), women with CIN II or III were compared with those with CIN I for risk factors associated with high-grade lesions. After controlling for age, education, ethnicity and frequency of Pap smear screening, infection with HPV 16, but not high viral load or infection with multiple types, was associated with high-grade lesions (OR for CIN II ‫؍‬ 11.96, OR for CIN III ‫؍‬ 23.74). Risk of CIN III, but not CIN II, increased with number of cigarettes smoked per day (ORs ‫؍‬ 1.49 and 3.35 for I10 and G10 cigarettes per day, respectively) and decreased with frequency of condom use during sex (ORs ‫؍‬ 0.60 and 0.32 for women who used condoms occasionally/sometimes and most/ all of the time, respectively). There were no associations between high-grade lesions and plasma levels of micronutrients (retinol, ␤-carotene, ␣-tocopherol and reduced ascorbic acid). Our results indicate that infection with HPV 16 is associated with high-grade lesions. Additional cofactors, such as cigarette smoking, may be required as a carcinogen to advance HPV-infected cells toward neoplastic progression.

Genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the major causal factor of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). The potential role of nutrition as an additional, independent risk factor for CIN has not been appropriately addressed in the context of HPV. This case‐control study evaluated the etiologic role of HPV in terms of viral type and load and examined the association between CIN and plasma levels of micronutrients adjusting for HPV. Cases (n = 378) with histo‐pathologically confirmed CIN and controls (n = 366) with no history of abnormal Pap smears were recruited from colposcopy and gynecology clinics, respectively. Risk of CIN was significantly increased among women who were infected with multiple HPV types (odds ratio [OR] = 21.06), a high viral load (OR = 13.08) and HPV 16 (OR = 62.49). After adjusting for HPV positivity and demographic factors, there was an inverse correlation between plasma α‐tocopherol and risk of CIN (OR = 0.15). Plasma ascorbic acid was protective at a high level of ≥ 0.803 mg/ dl (OR = 0.46). CIN was not associated with plasma retinol and β‐carotene levels. The effect of genital HPV infection on CIN development is highly influenced by oncogenic viral type and high viral load. Vitamins C and E may play an independent protective role in development of CIN that needs to be confirmed in prospective studies. Int. J. Cancer 78:594–599, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

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Chronic human health problems, namely arteriosclerosis, myocardial ischemia, and cancer, may be caused by highly active oxygen species and may be preventable by antioxidant vitamins. In humans, the sources of two major antioxidants, beta-carotene and alpha-tocopherol, are dietary. In this study, we measured the plasma concentrations of beta-carotene and alpha-tocopherol by reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography in a cross-sectional sampling of 116 women. Significantly reduced plasma levels of beta-carotene and alpha-tocopherol were observed in women with histopathologically diagnosed cervical dysplasias or cancer (p less than 0.0001 and p less than 0.005, respectively). There was an inverse association between the plasma levels of both beta-carotene and alpha-tocopherol and increasingly severe graded cervical histopathology. In groups with advanced dysplasias, the percentage of smokers was markedly increased and the women were comparatively older (p less than 0.0001). A strong association was noted between smoking status and plasma beta-carotene levels, independent of cervical pathology. However, this was not evident with respect to alpha-tocopherol. The findings suggest that the antioxidants beta-carotene and alpha-tocopherol have biologic functions that are interdependent in the pathogenesis of cervical intraepithelial lesions and cervical cancer.

The effects of gestational age on placental oxidative balance throughout gestation were investigated in women with uncomplicated pregnancies. Placental tissues were obtained from normal pregnant women who delivered at term or underwent elective pregnancy termination at 6 to 23 + 6 weeks of pregnancy. Placental tissues were analyzed for total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and lipid peroxide (malondialdehyde, MDA) levels using commercially available kits. Two hundred and one placental tissues were analyzed and the mean ± SD MDA (pmol/mg tissue) and TAC (µmol Trolox equivalent/mg tissue) levels for first, second, and third trimester groups were 277.01 ± 204.66, 202.66 ± 185.05, and 176.97 ± 141.61, P < 0.004 and 498.62 ± 400.74, 454.90 ± 374.44, and 912.19 ± 586.21, P < 0.0001 by ANOVA, respectively. Our data reflects an increased oxidative stress in the placenta in the early phase of normal pregnancy. As pregnancy progressed, placental antioxidant protective mechanisms increased and lipid peroxidation markers decreased resulting in diminution in oxidative stress. Our findings provide a biochemical support to the concept of a hypoxic environment in early pregnancy. A decrease in placental oxidative stress in the second and third trimesters appears to be a physiological phenomenon of normal pregnancy. Deviations from this physiological phenomenon may result in placental-mediated disorders.

Objective This study examines risk factors for persistent cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and whether human papillomavirus (HPV) testing predicts persistent lesions. Materials and Methods Women with histologically diagnosed CIN 1 or CIN 2 (n = 206) were followed every 3 months without treatment. HPV genotyping, plasma levels of ascorbic acid, and red blood cell folate were obtained. Cervical biopsy at 12 months determined the presence of CIN. Relative risk (RR) was estimated by log-linked binomial regression models. Results At 12 months, 70% of CIN 1 versus 54% of CIN 2 lesions spontaneously regressed (p< 0.001). Levels of folate or ascorbic acid were not associated with persistent CIN at 12 months. Compared to HPV negative women, those with multiple HPV types (RRs ranged from 1.68 to 2.17 at each follow-up visit) or high-risk types (RRs range = 1.74 to 2.09) were at increased risk for persistent CIN; women with HPV 16/18 had the highest risk (RRs range = 1.91 to 2.21). Persistent infection with a high-risk type was also associated with persistent CIN (RRs range = 1.50 – 2.35). Typing for high-risk HPVs at 6 months only had a sensitivity of 46% in predicting persistence of any lesions at 12 months. Conclusion Spontaneous regression of CIN 1 and CIN 2 occurs frequently within 12 months. HPV infection is the major risk factor for persistent CIN. However, HPV testing cannot reliably predict persistence of any lesion.