Background A rigorous comparison of cervical cancer screening methods utilizing data on immune status, antiretroviral therapy (ART) and colposcopy-directed biopsy has not been performed among HIV-positive women. Methods Between June and November 2009, 500 HIV-positive women were enrolled at an HIV treatment clinic in Nairobi, Kenya, and underwent Papanicolau (Pap) smear, visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA), human papillomavirus (HPV) and colposcopy-directed biopsy (gold standard). Positive Pap smear (ASCUS+, LSIL+, HSIL+), VIA, HPV and their combinations were compared with CIN2/3+. Sensitivity, specificity and AUC (sensitivity and 1–specificity) were compared using pairwise tests and multivariate logistic regression models that included age, CD4+ cell count and ART duration. Results Of 500 enrolled, 498 samples were collected. On histology, there were 172 (35%) normal, 186 (37%) CIN1, 66 (13%) CIN2, 47 (9%) CIN3 and 27 (5%) indeterminate. Pap (ASCUS+) was the most sensitive screening method (92.7%), combination of both Pap (HSIL+) and VIA positive was the most specific (99.1%) and Pap (HSIL+) had the highest AUC (0.85). In multivariate analyses, CD4+ cell count of 350 cells/μl or less was associated with decreased HPV specificity (P = 0.002); ART duration of less than 2 years was associated with decreased HPV (P = 0.01) and VIA (P = 0.03) specificity; and age less than 40 years was associated with increased VIA sensitivity (P < 0.001) and decreased HPV specificity (P = 0.005). Conclusion Pap smear is a robust test among HIV-positive women regardless of immune status or ART duration. Results should be cautiously interpreted when using HPV among those younger, immunosuppressed or on ART less than 2 years, and when using VIA among those aged 40 years or more.

Background:We assessed the association of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) with various characteristics, CD4 count and use of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) among HIV-positive women.Methods:Cross-sectional study of 498 HIV-positive women who underwent HPV PCR-based testing, cytology, and systematic cervical biopsy.Results:In all, 68.7% of women were HPV-positive, 52.6% had high-risk (hr) HPV, and 40.2% multiple type infections. High-risk human papillomavirus-positivity did not vary significantly by age but it was negatively associated with education level. The most frequent types in 113 CIN2/3 were HPV16 (26.5%), HPV35 (19.5%), and HPV58 (12.4%). CD4 count was negatively associated with prevalence of hrHPV (P<0.001) and CIN2/3 among non-users of cART (P=0.013). Combination antiretroviral therapies users (⩾2 year) had lower hrHPV prevalence (prevalence ratio (PR) vs non-users=0.77, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.61–0.96) and multiple infections (PR=0.68, 95% CI: 0.53–0.88), but not fewer CIN2/3. The positive predictive value of hrHPV-positivity for CIN2/3 increased from 28.9% at age <35 years to 53.3% in ⩾45 years.Conclusion:The burden of hrHPV and CIN2/3 was high and it was related to immunosuppression level. Combination antiretroviral therapies ( ⩾2 year) use had a favourable effect on hrHPV prevalence but cART in our population may have been started too late to prevent CIN2/3.

ObjectiveTo assess residual cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2/3 disease and clearance of high-risk (hr) human papillomavirus (HPV) infections at 6 months after cryotherapy among HIV-positive women.DesignFollow-up study.Methods79 HIV-positive women received cryotherapy for CIN2/3 in Nairobi, Kenya, and underwent conventional cytology 6 months later. Biopsies were performed on high grade cytological lesions and hrHPV was assessed before (cervical cells and biopsy) and after cryotherapy (cells).ResultsAt 6 months after cryotherapy CIN2/3 had been eliminated in 61 women (77.2%; 95% Confidence Interval, (CI): 66.4–85.9). 18 women (22.8%) had residual CIN2/3, and all these women had hrHPV at baseline. CD4 count and duration of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) were not associated with residual CIN2/3. CIN3 instead of CIN2 was the only significant risk factor for residual disease (odds ratio, OR vs CIN2 = 4.3; 95% CI: 1.2–15.0) among hrHPV-positive women after adjustment for age and HPV16 infection. Persistence of hrHPV types previously detected in biopsies was found in 77.5% of women and was associated with residual CIN2/3 (OR = 8.1, 95% CI: 0.9–70). The sensitivity, specificity, and negative predictive value of hrHPV test in detecting residual CIN2/3 were 0.94, 0.36, and 0.96 respectively.ConclusionsNearly one quarter of HIV-positive women had residual CIN2/3 disease at 6 months after cryotherapy, and the majority had persistent hrHPV. CD4 count and cART use were not associated with residual disease or hrHPV persistence. The value of hrHPV testing in the detection of residual CIN2/3 was hampered by a low specificity.

Objective To determine the effect of cryotherapy on HIV-1 cervical shedding. Design Prospective cohort study. Methods Five hundred HIV-positive women enrolled at an HIV treatment clinic in Nairobi, Kenya were screened for cervical cancer. Women diagnosed with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia stage 2 or 3 (CIN 2/3) by histology were offered cryotherapy treatment. The first 50 women had cervical swabs taken at baseline and at 2 and 4 weeks following treatment. Swabs were analyzed for HIV-1 RNA and compared using General Estimating Equation (GEE) with binomial or Gaussian links. Results Of the 50 women enrolled, 40 were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) and 10 were not receiving ART at the time of cryotherapy and during study follow-up. Among all women, the odds of detectable cervical HIV-1 RNA did not increase at 2 weeks [odds ratio (OR) 1.18; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.65–2.13] or 4 weeks (OR 1.29; 95% CI 0.71–2.33) following cryotherapy. Among 10 women not receiving ART, the OR of detectable shedding at 2 weeks was higher, but not statistically significant (OR 4.02; 95% CI 0.53–30.79; P = 0.2), and at 4 weeks remained unchanged (OR 1.00; 95% CI 0.27–3.74). Conclusion There was no increase in detectable cervical HIV-1 RNA among HIV-positive women after cryotherapy. The risk of HIV-1 transmission after cryotherapy may not be significant, particularly among women already on ART at the time of cervical treatment. However, further investigation is needed among women not receiving ART.