Frequency and clinical significance of human β-herpesviruses in cervical samples from Italian women

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are necessary, but not sufficient, for the development of cervical cancer (CC). Human β-herpesviruses (β-HHVs) have been suggested as possible cofactors in the oncogenesis of CC. In this cross-sectional study, the prevalence and possible association of cytomegalovirus (CMV), HHV-6 and -7 with HPV presence was investigated by quantitative real-time PCR assays in cervical samples obtained from 208 italian women. The two most common high-risk HPV types found were 31 and 16. Overall, the positive rates for CMV, HHV-6 and HHV-7 were 66%, 25%, and 6%, respectively. In particular, the prevalence of CMV was found to be extremely high irrespective of either the cytological category or HPV positivity. The prevalence of HHV-6 DNA was significantly higher in high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) respect to normal women (P