LAUSR

Background: The high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV) have been identified as one of the main causes of genital cancers over the recent years, therefore their accurate diagnosis plays an important role in controlling cancer and maintaining the community health. Objectives: Since a primary diagnosis of this virus is not possible through serologic methods and cell culture, the present study has been conducted with the aim to identify and determine the frequency of oncogenic types of HPV from paraffin block samples using PCR. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, which was carried out in 2017, a total amount of 97 genital samples coated in paraffin were collected from precancerous and cancerous lesions. Their DNA was extracted using special kits, and PCR and post PCR techniques were applied using specific primers. Results: 58 samples (59.8%) showed positive results in terms of the presence of HPV DNA, which indicated a high frequency for HPV. Moreover, 56.9% of HPV genotypes were classified under high-risk and 43.1% under low-risk categories, out of which HPV-16 (22.2%), HPV-11 (19%) and HPV-6 (12.7%) had the highest frequencies, respectively. Conclusions: The results of this study show that HPV could be considered as the main factor responsible for the changes in genital tissues is men and women, which have the potential to develop cancer. Furthermore, the involvement of various types of this virus in creating simultaneous and multiple infections further emphasizes the significance of screening and constant control of this virus.