Research Article
Yong Il Ji
Abstract
Introduction: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of pathogens such as human papillomavirus (HPV) and Mycoplasma/Ureaplasma spp. This study investigated the association between Mycoplasma/Ureaplasma infections and HPV infections in women diagnosed with abnormal cervical cytology. Methods: The investigation included 225 non-pregnant women diagnosed with abnormal Papanicolaou (Pap) test findings, including atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US), low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL), and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL). They were analyzed between March 2010 and February 2012 according to the severity of their cervical cytology. Results: The incidence of HPV infection was higher in the HSIL group than in the ASC-US and LSIL groups. In the HPV-positive HSIL group, Mycoplasma/Ureaplasma infections were more frequent (P<0.05), particularly Ureaplasma infections. The percentage of women infected with Mycoplasma/Ureaplasma was significantly higher in those also diagnosed with HSIL than those with LSIL or ASC-US. Conclusion: Mycoplasma/Ureaplasma infections might be a factor of persistent infection in highrisk HPV. Since the presence of Mycoplasma/Ureaplasma was significantly associated with HPV infection, genotyping of the Mycoplasma/Ureaplasma is recommended.