Screening hpv 4 types. HPV screening: features and indications for the procedure. Causes of papilloma virus infection

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted viruses. According to statistics from the World Health Organization, 80% of the population are carriers of the virus, most of the infected are women. More than 600 strains of the virus are isolated, some of which have carcinogenic properties. In medical practice, the connection of the virus with cervical cancer has been proven.

The most dangerous types of virus are,. Their detection in the biological material of the patient increases the risk of a precancerous pathological condition, which, without timely adequate treatment, serves as an impetus for the development of cancerous tumors.

HPV screening is accepted in all countries of the world as an accurate method of diagnostic examination aimed at identifying highly oncogenic virus types. It is the best prevention of early detection of malignant neoplasms.

Early diagnosis of virus carriers is important to prevent the growth of cancer cells, since the examination allows you to identify the initial stage of the pathology. reduces the risk of cervical cancer by 1000 times. With timely detection, proper development of specific therapy, the prognosis for the patient is favorable.

What is papillomavirus?

Papillomavirus is a thermostable pathogen that multiplies slowly without causing any symptoms. Therefore, people may be unaware of their infection for many years.

The virus is transmitted from person to person. Once in the body, with stable protection, the virus is neutralized. But with an inadequate immune response, it affects the cells, leads to a change in the nature of the growth of the epithelium - causes the formation of warts and papillomas on the skin, condylomas on the mucous membranes. The reasons for their appearance are contact with the affected areas of an infected person.

Preparation for the procedure

The first screening is recommended for women at 25–30 years of age. If sexual life began early, then 3 years after the first contact. If the result is negative, it is recommended to repeat the examination every 3 years. Immunocompromised patients - every year.

Men are carriers in most cases. The risk of oncological diseases in them is much lower than in women, therefore, they are prescribed an examination only for differential diagnosis if the partner has a manifestation of the virus in the form of genital warts.

To obtain the most reliable result, the correct one is important, which depends on the methodology.

Before cytological, extended studies:

• 3 days before the procedure, it is forbidden to use topical preparations, antibacterial hygiene products;
• do not empty the bladder for 2-3 hours;
• for 2 days before the procedure, you must refrain from communicating with your sexual partner.

The diagnostic procedure is prescribed before the start of any specific treatment in order to exclude drug influence on the results. A few days before the examination, it is recommended to review the usual diet (exclude fatty, smoked, salty foods). It is also necessary to stop taking alcoholic beverages and smoking.

If the study is carried out by PCR (polymerase chain reaction), then there is no need for preparation. The test will be accurate anyway.

Biomaterial sampling with any diagnostic method is not performed during menstruation, which is explained by a possible distortion of the results.

How is it carried out

Testing is given to patients who have not previously been diagnosed with an infection. The manipulation is simple - during a gynecological examination, using a special cytological brush, it is taken from the inner surface of the cervix. If a man is examined, then a swab is taken from the urethra. After sampling, the biomaterial is placed in a special environment and is subject to research.

When using the PCR method, saliva, blood, skin cells can act as biological material.

Screening detects the presence of HPV in the body. After receiving a positive result, an extended screening is carried out on the direction of a doctor to determine the genotype of the pathogen and the number of infected cells. If a malignant tumor of the cervix is ​​suspected, cervical screening is performed, which is more sensitive.

Deciphering the results

If the result of HPV screening is negative, it means that there are no changed cells. The patient needs to repeat the study at the recommended intervals.

A positive test result indicates a high risk of oncology. The doctor will prescribe an additional examination - the study of the biomaterial by various diagnostic methods: colposcopy or ureteroscopy, biopsy.

Upon receipt of a positive test result, a quantitative study is carried out. The PCR method allows you to accurately determine the amount of each strain of the virus in the biological material, which allows you to diagnose the severity of the current disease, predict further development. Calculated in genomic equivalents (GE).

Interpretation of results:

• less than 103 - does not pose a threat to health;
• more than 103 - high risk of developing cancer;
• more than 105 - the beginning of the development of cancer.

The cause of the development of cancer cells is a virus that has been in the body for more than a year. From the moment of infection to the development of cancer, it can take 5-15 years. At the initial stage, maintenance therapy is prescribed, the development of the disease is observed in dynamics. Repeated studies are carried out within six months: with a decrease in the value by 10 times, the forecasts are positive, with an increase, a relapse is possible. If the indicators are high, then we are talking about a malignant tumor, which is subject to immediate treatment.

HPV screening is an analysis that is designed to detect the human papillomavirus. What types of this test exist, what is papillomavirus and what is its danger, will be discussed in the article. The material also contains information about the price range for screening studies.

HPV - the human papillomavirus - is present in almost every inhabitant of the Earth: according to medical data, it affects about 80% of the world's population, but the majority undergoes self-elimination (self-healing).

The main route of infection is heterosexual and anal contact, oral sex, although the possibility of domestic infection is not ruled out.

It is noteworthy that even a condom does not protect against papillomavirus. Women who are actively sexually active are at risk. Newborns get the infection while passing through the birth canal.

Modern medicine knows about 100 types of infectious agents, of which no more than 40 are dangerous. They mainly affect the genitals and the anus. Human papillomaviruses are divided into three groups:

• Not provoking cancer: 1-3 and 5.
• Low carcinogenicity: 6, 11, 42-44.
• HPV HRC: cause oncological changes in cells (about 15 virus genotypes, but not less than 12).

The last group is the most dangerous (especially the 16th and 18th types). Their appearance in the analysis means that the risk of precancerous and cancerous conditions increases many times over. Although infection is not the same as infection, there are many cases when the immune system coped with the virus, and after it was detected, after some time it was not detected in the second test. But if the body's defenses fail, then the infection begins a serious invasion. Outwardly, it does not always manifest itself, but sometimes there are papillomas and genital warts on the mucous membranes. Early detection is very important, as it leads to the prevention of the onset of diseases and the prevention of advanced stages of cancer.

HPVs are of different types

A screening test is required from the age of 30. But in men, the study is not carried out, since the main risk group is women, and the stronger sex is only carriers of the infection. The statistics are relentless - more than 70% of cases of cervical cancer, anus and approximately 40% of vaginal cancers are provoked by HPV. Given such a high percentage of risk, HPV HRC screening is a necessary test. The danger of the human papillomavirus is that it can be present in the body for years, hiding, then to harm a person to the fullest, manifesting itself directly with oncological symptoms.

What is analysis?

The papillomavirus screening test is being given for the first time to women who have not previously been infected. HPV screening includes three types of tests:

• Cytological Pap test.

Scraping from the cervical canal is placed in a liquid medium. Performing this test greatly reduces the risk of inaccurate results because, unlike routine cytology, its response is not determined solely visually. The analysis significantly increases the rate of early cancer detection in women.

• HPV advanced screening.

With the help of this type of screening, the genotypes of papillomaviruses (VRVs) that provoke the occurrence of oncological diseases in the field of gynecology are determined.

• PCR analysis.

Polymerase chain reaction is the most effective screening method. It is carried out when dangerous genotypes are detected. The test determines the presence of the virus (even in single forms), and not just antibodies to it. The analysis is based on finding the DNA of an aggressive agent through a reaction to a specific substance. In addition, with absolute certainty it is determined which particular strain has occupied the organism.

One of the diagnostic methods is the polymerase chain reaction.

The last analysis practically does not give erroneous results if the material is taken according to all the rules and it is not contaminated.

The procedure for sampling material and the results of the examination

As a rule, the beginning of the examination is an ordinary gynecological examination, during which a smear is taken. The scraping area is the cervical canal, the epithelial layer of which is preliminarily dried. Usually they use special tools - the Wallach brush. Screening preparation is not required. Screening during menstruation is not recommended as there is a risk of false results. The frequency of analysis is annually during scheduled examinations.

An important indicator is quantitative, it is regulated by the requirements of the KVM (control of the taking of material). If the correct technique is used, then the number of epithelial cells is sufficient for the test.

How are the results of the HPV screening complex qualified?

• Positive.

With a positive test, it is considered that the patient is at a serious risk of oncological cell degeneration, in particular in the cervical region. Further actions will be aimed at expanding the list of tests, possibly taking a biopsy and monitoring the further course of the infection. It is likely the appointment of immunomodulators and antiviral drugs. If the result is not just positive, but a large amount of HPV is detected, then most likely this may indicate the presence of cancer.

• Negative.

A negative screening result indicates the absence of HPV in the body. Repeated analyzes are recommended for delivery with a frequency of 3-5 years.

If HPV is detected by the screening complex, but does not progress, then it is monitored for some time without treatment and its amount is monitored annually.

During therapy, screening is carried out every six months in order to monitor the results of treatment.

The cost of an extended program to determine HPV in the human body starts from 750 rubles. Incomplete screening - from 500 rubles.

Timely and regular examination to determine the infection can prevent many complications, so it is not recommended to ignore the study.

HPV is a human papillomavirus that can be present in the human body in low concentrations.
In the vast majority of situations, the immune system is able to cope with this infection on its own.

But under certain conditions (decreased immunity, for example), the virus begins active activity, provoking the development of a particular disease. It is classified into various types, among which there are low and high carcinogenic risk (HPV HRC).

That is, the peculiarity of this virus is that it is capable of causing precancerous and cancerous diseases. In women, it is cervical cancer, neoplasia, dysplasia.

Despite the fact that external signs of the HP virus may be absent for a long time, under its influence serious changes in health can occur, which in a few years can result in a serious condition.

The statistics are as follows: about 80% of women who have crossed the 50-year mark have already had HPV.

Way of transmission of papillomavirus. In most situations, sexual contact in any manifestation (oral, vaginal, anal, etc.) with a carrier of infection is unprotected by barrier contraceptives.

It has been established that the risk of infection is higher in women with excessive sexual activity. And often a woman shares the same types of infection with a sex partner. But the healing of each of them is determined by their own immune system.

Cervical cancer is a fairly common female disease today, which is ranked 3rd after cancerous tumors of the breast and colon.

External signs of the presence of HPV in the body can be genital warts and papillomas.

But they are not always and not for everyone. Therefore, it is possible to determine the presence of the papillomavirus in the body in only one way - regular preventive examinations.

Screening is a strategy of health care institutions aimed at detecting diseases, including those aimed at combating the human papillomavirus. And it provides for a number of special diagnostic techniques.

The most effective of them are PCR testing and Digene-Test. Which allows you to reduce the risk of developing a malignant process in the cervix by 1000 times.

Screening is indicated for all women after 24-27 years of age, and retests are done every 5 years.

However, it all starts with a routine gynecological examination and a smear. If the doctor suspects the presence of a virus, he recommends undergoing an additional examination: colposcopy (a targeted examination of the cervix with staining of areas) and oncocytology.

If testing does not reveal signs of pathology, then the need for treatment disappears. Since the body in such a situation is able to suppress the virus itself. But a year later, the HPV test will have to be repeated. If the infection continues to persist and does not reduce its concentration, the doctor will again prescribe an additional examination.

If the symptoms of the disease could be detected at the initial stage of precancer, then adequate treatment allows us to hope for a favorable prognosis in such a situation with an almost complete absence of any consequences. Concerns can only be caused by a long (over a year) virus that does not disappear.

Diagnosis is an important method that allows you to identify the carriage of papillomavirus in the early stages after infection. Diagnosis for the presence of certain types of HPV in the body allows you to determine whether the patient is at risk of developing cancer.

It is done once until the age of 30. If a pathogen is detected in the body, repeated tests are carried out in accordance with the recommendations of the doctor.

After the age of 30, testing for papillomavirus without additional indications is recommended every three years. There are several ways to diagnose HPV:

• cytological PAP testing;
• polymerase chain reaction method;
• advanced screening.

Diagnosis of HPV is complicated by the sluggish development of processes in a young organism, which often do not give specific symptoms. To detect the disease at an early stage and preventive control of morbidity, centralized screening for HRC HPV is used.

What is HRC HPV screening

Screening is a targeted examination of certain groups of the population in order to identify the disease. Screening is carried out according to a specially developed methodology by trained personnel.

HPV is an infectious strain of DNA containing papillomavirus.

All papillomaviruses (and there are more than a hundred of them) are divided into:

• highly oncogenic strains - viruses that can cause dysplasia of human skin or mucous tissues, followed by their malignant transformation;
• low-oncogenic - a group of viruses whose activity causes benign formations (papillomas, warts).

Note! The abbreviation HRC stands for high carcinogenic risk. HPV HRC - this is the designation of strains of the virus that cause cancer. In women it is cervical cancer, in men it is cancer of the penis. For European residents and the population of Russia, these are 18, 16, 31 and 45 papillomavirus genotypes.

When HPV of the HRC type is activated, a change and degeneration of tissues occurs, which ends in a malignant process.

Screening for papillomaviruses of a high degree of oncogenicity is carried out step by step, according to a specially designed scheme:

1. Carrying out an analysis of a cervical smear for the presence or absence of altered cells (dysplasia) in the patient's body (PAP test).
2. In case of a positive reaction to the PAP test, the quantitative determination of the virus is carried out, its identification (advanced screening).

HPV screening is an analysis that is designed to detect the human papillomavirus. What types of this test exist, what is papillomavirus and what is its danger, will be discussed in the article. The material also contains information about the price range for screening studies.

Brief information about the disease

HPV - the human papillomavirus - is present in almost every inhabitant of the Earth: according to medical data, it affects about 80% of the world's population, but the majority undergoes self-elimination (self-healing).

The main route of infection is heterosexual and anal contact, oral sex, although the possibility of domestic infection is not ruled out.

It is noteworthy that even a condom does not protect against papillomavirus. Women who are actively sexually active are at risk. Newborns get the infection while passing through the birth canal.

Modern medicine knows about 100 types of infectious agents, of which no more than 40 are dangerous. They mainly affect the genitals and the anus. Human papillomaviruses are divided into three groups:

• Not provoking cancer: 1-3 and 5.
• Low carcinogenicity: 6, 11, 42-44.
• HPV HRC: cause oncological changes in cells (about 15 virus genotypes, but not less than 12).

Etiology of the disease

Anyone can become infected with HPV using public transport, places of common residence, where the carrier was, and cleaning was not carried out. The virus may remain on objects for some time, but without a person, it soon dies.

Mostly they become infected in public places, and everything happens quickly and asymptomatically. The virus is activated only when the body is weakened or when the skin is damaged. It is at this time that growths appear on the skin. They are usually benign, but certain types can become malignant (turn into cancerous tumors).

First, solitary papillomas appear, which, as they develop and, depending on the weakened immunity, grow and reach several hundred. This is called papillomatosis.

Types of papillomavirus

Before you understand what it is - screening - and what it is for, you should first familiarize yourself with the types of HPV. After all, if it were a simple virus that was easy to deal with, the methods for studying it would be much simpler. But to date, more than 100 types of human papillomavirus are known, and about half of them pose a certain danger.

Diagnostic techniques are aimed at identifying carcinogenic strains of the virus and at the timing of the presence of HPV in the body. Genotyping is a study that determines whether the infection occurred initially, or the virus has been present in the body for a long time.

If the virus has been observed for more than a year, then the immune system is not able to fully cope with it. The replicating virus causes precancerous and cancerous conditions.

One of the main testing methods is PCR (polymerase chain reaction). This is a DNA test that allows you to accurately identify the strains of the virus present in the human body. The technique detects not antibodies present in the material, but DNA fragments of the pathogen.

The test material is a biological fluid: urine, blood, secretions, tissue fluids. The disadvantage of the PCR test is that when conducting regular screening for HPV, the disease is difficult to diagnose, because in the absence of severe symptoms, it is in an inactive state and is located in the deep layers of the skin.

The HPV digestion test is a quantitative test that allows you to determine the strain of the virus and the viral load of the body. The range of detected subspecies is somewhat narrower than when using PCR (the test captures 13 subspecies of HPV HCR and 5 HPV NKR). In combination with cytological analysis of the material, this type of testing is the best for determining the degree of tissue damage and cell changes.

HPV screening is an integral part of diagnostics for the prevention of malignant tumors. Upon receipt of a positive result, narrower specialized studies are assigned. The results of all screening studies will form the basis for the choice of therapeutic actions.

Cytological Pap test

Analysis of scrapings from the cervical canal. Biological material after sampling is placed in a special liquid.

The analysis provides more accurate information about the virus than just cytology. With the liquid method, several different tests can be performed using the same biological material.

The PAP test is used to detect the human papillomavirus at the earliest stages of its activation. After that, a treatment strategy is chosen.

Pap testing helps to detect the disease at the earliest stages, when the human papillomavirus is in the body in a small concentration. The test is simple yet versatile.

During the PCR test, the reaction of the reagent with the nucleic acid in the human fluid is observed. The test will require a person's blood, urine, saliva, or mucus.

The study reveals the presence of HPV, its type and the risk of oncogenicity.

To properly carry out the procedure, you need to properly prepare for it:

• for 2 days, alcohol, junk food should be excluded;
• stop having sex for a day;
• women need to wait until the end of menstruation, do not use vaginal creams, suppositories for two days, do not use antibacterial hygiene products during the evening toilet;
• men should not urinate for an hour and a half before taking the test.

Advanced Screening

With its help, strains and types of HPV are detected that are capable of degenerating into cancerous tumors, as well as their concentration. There are approximately 50 such types of viruses.

The analysis detects in biological material all types of papillomavirus without exception. It does not detect antibodies to the causative agent of the virus, but immediately detects the virus itself. The results of the polymerase chain reaction are several times more accurate than those of conventional cytology.

The principle of the analysis is to mix the reagent and pathogen cells. Result 100%. The study is carried out in a circular cycle up to 35 times until the virus becomes visible under a microscope.

PCR has a number of advantages:

1. High sensitivity. Any test will show 100% result.
2. Speed. After 4-5 hours, the result will be known.
3. Any type of biosample is suitable for research. Blood, saliva, scraping of damaged epithelium is suitable for a PCR test.
4. Profitability. It is possible to detect several types of HPV from a single sample.
5. Availability. The test can be carried out in almost every laboratory.

Thus, the PC reaction is the most profitable and affordable option for detecting HPV in the human body.

Digene-Test

Allows you to identify the pathogen and determine its strain (respectively, the degree of oncogenicity). With this test, several types of papillomavirus can be recognized simultaneously.

The test requires particles of the affected tissue taken from the vagina, cervical canal, urethra, scrapings from these places, tissue for cytology. It is necessary to carry out the Digene-Test for preventive purposes after 30 years, because before this age the body itself copes with the virus, suppressing the activity of harmful cells.

Screening (from the English screen - to sift) in health care is a mass survey of the population in order to identify a specific disease or factors contributing to its development. Provides for a number of special diagnostic techniques.

The examination is carried out in order to detect the disease in the latent period, when there are no external signs of manifestation. This will make it possible to start treatment at an early stage, alleviate the patient's condition and reduce mortality. In the Soviet period, the term "medical examination" was used to refer to screening.

General information about HPV

People learn about the human papillomavirus (HPV) what it is when it has already shown itself. On the mucous surface of the genitals in men and women, pointed growths appear - warts. More serious consequences - pathological degeneration of the cervix - become known at a gynecologist's appointment.

Doctors have known this virus for a long time: it causes the formation of papillomas and warts. Doctors and scientists began to sound the alarm when they traced the direct connection between the presence of a virus in the body and the development of a cervical tumor. Infection is found in almost every biopsy material.

HPV is widespread. Only about 20% of the world's population manages to avoid meeting him.

The main route of transmission is contact, during intimacy. Condoms do not protect, but slightly reduce the risk of transmission.

The more actively a person is looking for new sexual partners, the higher the risk of infection. Now warts are spreading in the anus, on the surface of the rectum.

This is due to the increasing popularity of anal sex. Infection and development of the virus can occur from an infected mother to an infant at birth. The baby has growths on the larynx, genital warts. Such clinical cases are rare, but they do exist. A contact-household method of infection with warts is possible if the skin has microdamages.

Features of the human papillomavirus

When HPV enters the body, the immune system actively and successfully suppresses the infection. But antiviral immunity may fail, the virus is activated. This happens when the body's defenses are weakened (pregnancy, smoking, chemotherapy, after an organ transplant). Then the disease begins to develop actively.

Papillomavirus is transmitted only from person to person and leads to a change in the nature of tissue growth. There are more than 100 types of HPV strains. They were conditionally divided into the following groups:

• Non-oncogenic papillomaviruses (HPV 1, 2, 3, 5);
• Oncogenic low-risk papillomaviruses (mainly HPV 6, 11, 42, 43, 44);
• Oncogenic papillomaviruses of high oncogenic risk (HPV 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59 and 68).

Clinical manifestations of HPV can be different: common warts, papillomas, genital warts (on the mucosa), cervical cancer, vaginal cancer, penis cancer, rectal cancer.

Papillomavirus is found in the body of almost every adult, but signs of infection may appear after a few years. Not all strains are dangerous, but there are HPVs of high oncogenic risk, which often provoke the development of malignant neoplasms, carcinomas.

There are dangerous types of HPV

HPV high oncogenic risk - what is it?

There are more than 100 varieties of HPV (HPV), when infected, papillomas, condylomas and warts appear on the skin and mucous membranes.

HPV Screening - Early Diagnosis of Cervical Cancer

A virus of medium and high risk of carcinogenicity is capable of disrupting the normal growth of dermal cells, invading them. Abnormal cells appear that cannot function normally.

If papillomavirus is suspected, screening is done to determine the exact strain and concentration of the virus. Diagnosis helps prevent the development of malignant processes on the cervix or dysplasia.

Why diagnose a disease?

Most often, men are carriers of the virus. Occasionally, HPV can manifest itself as anogenital warts, cancers are diagnosed even less frequently.

In recent years, the mortality rate from cervical cancer has increased among the female population. Therefore, men with HPV are not screened, and women should be regularly checked for the presence of the pathogen.

• Pathogen in the body (without symptoms) - once a year;
• Negative result - every 3-5 years;
• Load control after therapy - every 6 months.

If a highly oncogenic papillomavirus has been detected, screening is necessary to prevent the appearance of atypical cells in the cervical canal. The examination procedure should include several tests.

The purpose of this procedure is to identify abnormal cells before they become malignant.

Treatment of human papillomavirus

If HPV HRC screening showed the presence of the virus in the body, especially if these are the most dangerous strains 16 and 18, treatment is prescribed. First of all, antiviral therapy is used, including the use of drugs for internal and external use. Papillomas, if they have grown, are removed surgically.

At the same time, therapy is being carried out, the purpose of which is to strengthen the human immune system in order to reduce the risk of papillomas reappearing. After the therapeutic measures taken, the patient should regularly, 2 times a year, undergo a medical examination.

This is because HPV is currently an incurable disease. But with proper and timely therapy, it can be kept under control.

All antiviral drugs are prescribed exclusively by a doctor. Only he will be able to correctly calculate the dosage and scheme of application, based on the amount of virus in the blood and the general condition of the body. Self-medication in this case is unacceptable.

There is a vaccine against human papillomavirus, but it can only be used if it is not in the body. And there are very few such people on earth.

HPV screening: features and indications for the procedure

Regular HPV screening is done to detect precancerous conditions and early cervical cancer. What it is?

Screening is the conduct of additional examinations to identify the disease. In women, it goes like this:

• a smear is taken during a regular gynecological examination;
• a DNA test for papillomavirus (PCR or digestion test) is performed;
• if these studies reveal the presence of papillomavirus, the degree of tissue change is determined using colposcopy and cytological analysis;
• according to the results of these tests, conclusions are drawn: in the absence of pathological changes, there is no need for treatment - the immune system is able to cope with the virus without intervention. If, as a result of research, precancerous conditions are found, the doctor prescribes treatment for papillomavirus.

Fears are caused by the human papillomavirus, which has been present in the body for more than one year.

Before starting screening, it is necessary to clarify certain aspects of the study with the doctor:

• Is the test sensitive to all types of papillomaviruses or only to those that are highly carcinogenic.
• How many strains of HPV HRC (high carcinogenic risk) testing reveals. Cancer degeneration can cause 15 subspecies of the virus, of which 12 are common in Russia. The study must necessarily identify strains 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 52, 58, 59, 56, 51, otherwise it cannot be called effective.
• Does the test determine viral load (the amount of HPV in the body).

Papillomavirus is a common pathogen from the papovavirus family, which, according to some reports, infects 80-90% of the population. Infection is not only a cosmetic problem: some types of virus significantly increase the likelihood of malignant tumors (for example, cervical cancer).

In order to detect the presence of an increased risk of oncology in time, it is necessary to undergo regular HPV screening.

HPV screening is a procedure that is part of a set of diagnostic measures aimed at identifying the human papillomavirus and its effect on the cervix. The population of the earth is 85% infected with human papillomavirus, but it does not manifest itself in everyone. In order for papillomas or condylomas to appear on the body or pelvic organs, the human immune system must fail. In addition, there are many strains of this virus, and in most cases, HPV advanced screening is done in order to determine the type of disease.

Types of papillomavirus

Before you understand what it is - screening - and what it is for, you should first familiarize yourself with the types of HPV. After all, if it were a simple virus that was easy to deal with, the methods for studying it would be much simpler. But to date, more than 100 types of human papillomavirus are known, and about half of them pose a certain danger.

Conventionally, the types of viruses can be divided into 3 groups of different carcinogenic risk:

To determine the type of virus, scrapings and blood for PCR are examined.

Preparation before screening

Proper preparation before screening greatly affects the reliability of the test result. First of all, it is recommended to stop taking topical drugs 3 days before the procedure. It is forbidden to use hygiene products containing antibacterial agents.

2, and preferably 3 hours before the start of the procedure, you can not empty the bladder. The analysis must be taken seriously and all the requirements of the doctor must be met, then you will not have to go through the procedure again and the reliability will be quite high.

Factors that increase the risk of developing uterine cancer

The mere presence of human papillomavirus in a woman's blood does not mean that it will necessarily lead to cervical cancer. It just increases the risk of it happening. Therefore, in the World Health Organization, HPV is in first place as the main factor in the development of cancer, but not the only one:

Early detection facilitates treatment and has a positive prognosis.

Treatment of human papillomavirus

If HPV HRC screening showed the presence of the virus in the body, especially if these are the most dangerous strains 16 and 18, treatment is prescribed. First of all, antiviral therapy is used, including the use of drugs for internal and external use. Papillomas, if they have grown, are removed surgically.

At the same time, therapy is being carried out, the purpose of which is to strengthen the human immune system in order to reduce the risk of papillomas reappearing. After the therapeutic measures taken, the patient should regularly, 2 times a year, undergo a medical examination. This is because HPV is currently an incurable disease. But with proper and timely therapy, it can be kept under control.

All antiviral drugs are prescribed exclusively by a doctor. Only he will be able to correctly calculate the dosage and scheme of application, based on the amount of virus in the blood and the general condition of the body. Self-medication in this case is unacceptable.

There is a vaccine against human papillomavirus, but it can only be used if it is not in the body. And there are very few such people on earth.

Prevention of HPV disease

Speaking about the human papillomavirus and screening as a method for its determination, one cannot fail to mention the appearance of this disease. After all, if you follow a number of rules, then you may never need to undergo such an examination and subsequent treatment.

It must be remembered that mainly through sexual contact. In this regard, sexual contact with unfamiliar people should be avoided.

During sexual intercourse, it is recommended to use protective equipment, although they will not be able to 100% protect against the virus. In order not to get the virus in a household way, you should never use other people's personal hygiene products, such as:

• Toothbrush;
• razor;
• towel;
• manicure scissors and the like.

To strengthen the immune system of the body, it is necessary to observe the daily routine, go to bed on time, be less nervous and eat right. It is very helpful to exercise regularly, such as swimming or running. You need to stop smoking and drinking alcohol. If colds are detected, one should not hope that everything will go away on its own, but it is necessary to start treatment in time under the supervision of a doctor.

7 out of 10 people are carriers of the papillomavirus. Some types of the virus are carcinogenic and can lead to cancer. Therefore, HPV screening is necessary in the diagnosis and prevention of oncological diseases of the genital organs of men and women. The importance of diagnosing the carriage of the virus lies in the fact that the pathogen may not manifest itself for a long time, at the same time carry a hidden danger to health.

HPV screening is a method of laboratory research that provides an answer to the question of the possible development of cancer in humans.

What is HPV screening?

Diagnosis is an important method that allows you to identify the carriage of papillomavirus in the early stages after infection. Diagnosis for the presence of certain types of HPV in the body allows you to determine whether the patient is at risk of developing cancer. It is done once until the age of 30. If a pathogen is detected in the body, repeated tests are carried out in accordance with the recommendations of the doctor. After the age of 30, testing for papillomavirus without additional indications is recommended every three years. There are several ways to diagnose HPV:

• cytological PAP testing;
• polymerase chain reaction method;
• advanced screening.

Back to index

Patient preparation

The HPV test requires special preparation:

1. three days before the analysis, you need to stop using topical drugs and antibacterial products for personal hygiene;
2. a month before the examination, it is necessary to exclude the use of antibiotics and bactericidal drugs;
3. do not wash before taking the material, women also do not douche and ultrasound examination on the day and on the day of analysis;
4. 2-3 hours before taking the urogenital material, do not urinate;
5. PCR diagnostics for women should be carried out three days after the end of menstruation or before they begin, the rest of the diagnostics can be done on any “clean” day.

Back to index

PCR method (polymerase chain reaction)

The HPV PCR method makes it possible to detect several types of the virus in one procedure.

PCR diagnostics is a test that determines the DNA of sexually transmitted diseases in biological environments. Material for screening in women is taken from the cervical canal, vagina or urethra, in men - from the urethra. In addition, the analysis can be carried out on the basis of semen or the first portion of morning urine. The advantages of this method of diagnosing HPV:

• rather high reliability of results;
• a variety of biological material can be used for diagnosis;
• quick receipt of examination results;
• the possibility of detecting several HPV genotypes from one material;
• availability.

Back to index

Digen test

The Digene test is a patented HPV detection technique based on technologies from a company called Digene that detects specific HPV DNA fragments (called "hybrid capture"). This is a highly accurate test to help identify or rule out high carcinogenicity HPV. The material is the taking of a scraping from the cells of the cervix. Such an examination should be supplemented with other human papillomavirus screening tests: liquid cytology, PCR, colposcopy, Pap test.

Back to index

Liquid Pap test

The analysis is a study for the presence of papillomavirus scrapings taken from the cervical canal. A feature of the test is that the test sample is placed in a special liquid medium. The combination of biological material with a special binding medium makes it possible to obtain more reliable results than with standard cytological diagnostics. Screening for pathological conditions of the cervix involves a combination of 2 tests: the PAP test and the HPV test.

A liquid Pap test reveals the type of HPV and the situation with inflammatory processes in the cervix.

There are 5 types of smears:

• normal, complete absence of atypical cellular structures;
• detection of changes due to inflammatory processes in the vagina or cervix;
• the presence of single abnormal cells with a modified nucleus or cytoplasm;
• detection of single malignant cells;
• the presence of a significant number of modified pathological cells.

Back to index

Indications for diagnosis

Diagnosis is made for the human papillomavirus based on the Pap test according to the following indications:

• gynecological screening to clarify health indicators during medical examination;
• conducting a diagnostic examination;
• additional laboratory diagnostics in the presence of HPV infection;
• examination in the presence of pathological conditions of the cervix;
• examination due to the detection of oncological processes in the cervix;
• analysis of the state of health after the treatment of oncological processes.

Back to index

Features of the

Depending on the clinical picture and the age of the woman, several diagnostic approaches are used:

The HPV Pap test is prescribed for women over 21 years of age.

• conducting PAP testing at the initial stage of screening with further clarification of a positive result based on the HPV test;
• HPV PAP screening - a combination of HPV screening and oncological cytology;
• HPV analysis at the initial stage of the examination with further sorting of a positive response to the test using a PAP examination.

The first method is used in the United States and European developed countries for the diagnosis of women's health at the age of 21 to 25 years, the second - in England and the United States for women after 30 years of age. The third method is used in developing countries where there are insufficiently organized or completely absent appropriate survey programs.

Back to index

Advantages of the method

The PAP test for HPV diagnostics allows you to conduct several types of analyzes from a single material sample taken. This allows the special composition of the transport medium. Such a test allows you to identify the human papillomavirus at the very first stages of its life in the human body. The table shows the positive aspects of this HPV screening: