Analysis of epidemiological trends in human papillomavirus infection among gynaecological outpatients in Hangzhou, China, 2011–2015

BACKGROUND: HPV infection is the major pathogenic factor underlying cervical cancer and precancerous lesions. The cervical HPV infection rates in gynaecological outpatients from Hangzhou, China, were studied in the period from January 2011 to December 2015. METHODS: Exfoliated cervical cells were harvested from gynaecological outpatients in Hangzhou from January 2011 to December 2015. Twenty-one HPV subtypes were detected using flow-through hybridization. The HPV infection rates in various disease groups were compared using the Chi-square test. The infection rates of different HPV subtypes in different calendar years and in different age groups were analysed using the linear-by-linear association test and gamma value. RESULTS A total of 43,804 patients were recruited, of whom 9752 (22.3%) were infected with HPV. The top five among the 21 HPV subtypes detected in terms of infection rates were HPV-16, -52, -58, -53 and -18. No significant differences (linear-by-linear association test) were found in the HPV infection rates when compared over the studied years (P > 0.05). However, the 15-24-year-old age group showed the highest HPV infection rate, and significant differences (linear-by-linear association test) were detected among the different age groups (P < 0.05). The HPV infection rates exhibited an upward trend in the 15-24-year-old and >24-34-year-old groups over the past five years. There were significant differences in the HPV infection rates among the disease groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS HPV-16, -52 and -58 were the major HPV infection subtypes in Hangzhou, China. The 15-24-year-old age group had a relatively high HPV infection rate with an upward trend over the past five years and thus represented a population susceptible to HPV infection.