Prevalence of human papillomavirus infection in women in the Autonomous Region of Inner Mongolia: A population-based study of a Chinese ethnic minority

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infectious pathogens. Persistent infection has been linked to cancer development, in particular to cervical cancer. This study aims to investigate the epidemiology of HPV infection in women in Inner Mongolia of China and to dissect the disparities between the Han and Mongolian ethnic populations. Cervical cell samples from 5655 women (17-68 years old) were collected during routine gynecologic examination. HPV infection was established using the HPV GenoArray kit detecting 21 HPV genotypes. The overall HPV prevalence was 14.5%. HPV16 (5.0%), HPV58 (2.2%), and HPV52 (1.5%) are the most common genotypes. Of the 21 genotypes investigated, high-risk HPV genotypes dominate in all age groups. HPV16 and HPV58 are the most common genotypes in patients with cervical lesions. HPV prevalence among Han women is 11.5% and the most common genotypes are HPV16 (4%) and HPV58 (2.1%). HPV prevalence is significantly higher in Mongolian women (32.6%), with the most common genotypes being HPV16 (10.7%), HPV31 (7.1%), and HPV52 (4.3%). The multiple infection rate in Mongolian participants (14.9%) is also higher than that of Han participants (4.3%). Urbanization, the number of sex partners, and PAP history appear as risk factors for HPV infection in Han, but not in Mongolian participants. HPV infection is highly prevalent in women in Inner Mongolia, China. HPV16 remains the most common genotype in this area. However, there are clear ethnical disparities in respect to the HPV epidemiology between the Han and Mongolian population.