To investigate the incidence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and the distribution of HPV subtypes in women for physical examination in Anhui area, and to provide evidence for the prevention and treatment of cervical cancer.

The sample of female cervical exfoliated cells specimen were collected by Hefei KingMed Diagnostics laboratory and HPV genotypes were detected by polymerase chain reaction reverse dot blot hybridization (PCR-RDB) method. According to the genotype results, the potential infection rate and HPV subtypes, the detection rate of each genotype and the distribution of different age groups were analyzed, respectively.

Among the 17 160 samples from healthy women for physical examination, a total of 2 990 cases were HPV positive, with the positive rate 17.42% (2 990/ 17 160). Seventeen high-risk genotypes and 6 low-risk genotypes of HPV were all detected. Cases with single genotype HPV infection accounted for 73.71% (2 204/2 990), double HPV genotypes infection were 19.03% (569/2 990), triple HPV genotypes were 5.55% (166/2 990); while quadruple HPV genotypes (43 cases), five genotypes (7 cases) and six genotypes (1 case) infection accounted for 1.71% (51/2 990) in total. Among the 2 204 cases with single genotype HPV infection, 1 829 (82.99%) cases were with high-risk genotypes HPV infection. The common high-risk subtypes were HPV52 (20.07%, 367/1 829), HPV16 (16.84%, 308/ 1 829), HPV53 (9.84%, 180/18 29) and HPV18 (8.26%, 151/1 829). The detection rate of the above four high-risk genotypes of HPV accounted for 55.00%, relative to the total high-risk genotype of HPV infection (1 006/1 829). The remaining 823 patients were distributed in the other 13 high-risk genotypes of HPV. There were 375 cases with low-risk genotype of HPV infection, the most common of which was HPV81 (40.00%, 150/375), followed by HPV42 (22.13%, 83/375) and HPV43 (17.33%, 65/375). The other 23 patients were distributed in the other 3 middle and low risk genotypes. Among the cases with double HPV infection, 390 cases (68.54%) were with only high-risk HPV subtypes infection, 10 cases (1.76%) with only low-risk HPV subtypes infection and 169 cases (29.70%) with high-risk and low-risk HPV subtypes mixed infection. Among the triple HPV genotypes infection, 73 cases (43.98%) were with only high-risk HPV subtypes infection, 2 cases (1.20%) were with only low-risk HPV subtypes infection and 91 cases (54.82%) with high-risk and low-risk HPV subtypes mixed infection. Among quadruple and above HPV genotypes infection, 22 cases (43.14%) were with only high-risk subtypes HPV infection, no case was with only low-risk HPV subtype infection and 29 cases (56.86%) with high-risk and low-risk HPV subtypes mixed infection. High-risk HPV subtype infection was the main infection, whether in single HPV subtype infection or in multiple HPV subtypes infection. The positive rates of HPV in groups aged 21-25, 26-30, 31-35, 36-40, 41-45, 46-50 ,51-55, 56-60 and ≥ 61 years old were significantly different (χ² = 28.701, P < 0.001).

HPV infection in healthy women in Anhui was maily single subtype infection and high-risk subtypes infection, and the high-risk infection rate ranks HPV52, HPV16, HPV53 and HPV18, and the infection rate of different age groups were significantly different.