Infección por virus del papiloma humano (VPH) en una población indígena del Amazonas venezolano.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in an indigenous population of theVenezuelan Amazon.Uterine cervix cancer (UCC) constitutes a public health problem around the world. In Venezuela, itrepresents the second cause of death from cancer in women of reproductive age. Epidemiological studieshave identified a close relationship between UCC and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, whichnowadays constitutes the most prevalent sexually transmitted disease world-wide. Previous studies havereported HPV lesions in indigenous populations of Brazilian and Bolivian South American Amazon in upto 29% of women. The aim of this study was to determine the presence of HPV infection and, at the sametime, perform UCC screening through conventional cytology in Venezuela’s Amazonas State. The studyincluded 57 women from the Yekwana, Piaroa and Arawaco ethnic groups, from the High OrinocoMunicipality. DNA associated to HPV was found in 35.09% of the sample studied, 45% showed DNAsequences of HPV-16 and HPV-33 (high risk), and 55% for the low-risk types (HPV-6 and HPV-11). Inconclusion, a significant percentage of the indigenous population from Amazonas State in Venezuela hasan elevated risk to develop UCC.