Research Square · Oct 14, 2026
Three-year persistence and clearance patterns of high-risk HPV genotype groups among women in Chirchik, Uzbekistan: A secondary analysis of a pilot screening study
By Abdumalikova DU
Background High-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) persistence is central to cervical carcinogenesis, yet longitudinal data from Central Asia remain limited. This secondary analysis assessed the distribution of hrHPV genotype groups and 3-year follow-up patterns among women in Chirchik, Uzbekistan. Methods From August 2021 to March 2022, 5,678 women were screened for hrHPV, of whom 547 (9.6%) tested positive. HPV genotyping was performed using the Xpert HPV assay. Single infections were defined as the detection of one genotype group, while multiple infections were defined as the detection of two or more groups. Clearance was defined as the loss of HPV16 (P1) at follow-up, regardless of the status of other genotypes. Results Single infections predominated at baseline (87.0%, 476/547), while double, triple, and quadruple infections accounted for 11.2%, 1.6%, and 0.2% of cases, respectively. The most frequently detected genotype groups were HPV16 (29.8%), HPV31/33/35/52/58 (19.9%), and HPV39/56/66/68 (16.5%). At 3-year follow-up, 409 baseline hrHPV-positive women were re-evaluated, and 108 remained hrHPV-positive. Single infections remained predominant among persistent hrHPV-positive cases (94.4%, 102/108). HPV16 was the most frequently detected genotype group at follow-up (38.0%), followed by HPV39/56/66/68 (24.1%) and HPV31/33/35/52/58 (19.4%). Newly detected genotype groups were observed in 36 women, with HPV39/56/66/68 being the most common (52.8%). Among women with HPV16 at baseline, clearance was observed in 66.9% (83/124) of those with single HPV16 infection, 77.8% of those with HPV16 + HPV31/33/35/52/58 (7/9) co-infection, and 83.3% of HPV16 + HPV39/56/66/68 (5/6) co-infection. A Fisher’s exact test showed no statistically significant difference in clearance proportions between the three groups (p = 0.740). Conclusion This secondary analysis provides preliminary evidence on the distribution of hrHPV genotype groups and 3-year follow-up patterns in Uzbekistan. Larger studies with repeated follow-up testing and genotype-level analysis are needed to confirm these findings.