Epidemiology and Health

Original article

Effect of the human papillomavirus vaccine on the risk of genital warts: a nationwide cohort study of South Korean adolescent girls: Jaeyoung Cho, Eun Mi Kim, Jihye Kim, Ju-Young Shin, Eui Hyeok Kim, Jong Heon Park, Seunghyun Lewis Kwon, Geun-Yong Kwon, Soon-Ae Shin, Jaiyong Kim; Epidemiol Health. 2024;e2024040. Published online March 18, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2024040 [Accepted]

Abstract PDF: Abstract
OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination administered to adolescent girls through South Korea’s National Immunization Program.
METHODS
This retrospective cohort study included individuals who were 12 to 13 years old, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, between July 2016 and December 2017. The incidence of genital warts (GWs) was monitored through 2021. Time-stratified hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated, adjusting for birth year, socioeconomic status, and the level of urbanization of the region, and were presented with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Data were sourced from the Immunization Registry Integration System, linked with the National Health Information Database.
RESULTS
The study included 332,062 adolescent girls, with an average follow-up period of approximately 4.6 years. Except for the first year, the HRs for the vaccinated group were lower than those for the unvaccinated group. The HRs for specific cutoff years were as follows: year 2, 0.62 (95% CI, 0.31 to 1.13); year 3, 0.58 (95% CI, 0.35 to 0.96); and year 4 and beyond, 0.39 (95% CI, 0.28 to 0.52).
CONCLUSIONS
Our findings indicate that HPV vaccination was associated with a reduction in the risk of GWs among adolescent girls. Notably, this reduction became significant as the incidence of GWs increased with age.; Summary

Original Article

Human papillomavirus: footprints in the population of western India: Ashi Robert Thobias, Kinjal Ankit Patel, Supreet Dhananjay Bhatt, Kruti Ashvinkumar Mehta, Chetana Deepal Parekh, Pariseema Sharad Dave, Prabhudas Shankarbhai Patel; Epidemiol Health. 2021;43:e2021013. Published online February 3, 2021; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2021013

Abstract Summary PDF: Abstract
OBJECTIVES
Cancer is a multi-factorial disease, with various intrinsic and environmental factors contributing to its occurrence. Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been associated with the occurrence of many cancers. India severely suffers from 3 HPV-associated cancers (cervical cancer, oral cancer, and oropharyngeal cancer). Hence, the present study aimed to evaluate the HPV burden in these 3 cancers among patients from the western region of India.
METHODS
DNA was isolated from samples from 400 cervical cancer, 127 oral cancer, and 75 oropharyngeal cancer patients. Polymerase chain reaction was performed using degenerate primers for HPV infection.
RESULTS
Overall, HPV infection was observed in 87% of cervical cancer cases, 12.5% of oral cancer cases, and 26.7% of oropharyngeal cancer cases when analyzed with a cumulative detection method using the MY 09/11, GP 5+/6+, and CP I/II primer sets.
CONCLUSIONS
A significant prevalence of HPV infection was detected in all 3 cancers using the degenerate primer sets. This finding implies that testing for HPV infection using multiple primer sets is crucial for determining its actual prevalence in various malignancies.; Summary

Key Message
The study emphasised the need to screen population of India for HPV infection for better prognosis and disease management and showcases a perfect screening module to efficiently screen the HPV strains.

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