HPV E6/E7 mRNA detection in women with abnormal histology in Qazvin province, Iran

Objective: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, especially with type 16 or 18, is associated with cervical cancer. Two HPV proteins, E6 and E7, are essential factors in the carcinogenesis of HPV. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the presence of HPV 16/18 E6/E7 mRNA in women with abnormal histology in Qazvin province, Iran. Results: : HPV 16/18 DNA and E6/E7 mRNA was observed in 60.6% and 42.4% of samples, respectively. The frequency of positive HPV 16/18 and E6/E7 results increased with the severity of the injury, but the latter correlates better with progressive lesions. Despite the non-different sensitivity, PPV, and NPV of these two tests, E6/E7 mRNA showed higher specificity for detecting high-grade lesions (52.30% vs 75.38, P = 0.006).