Bioimpedance spectroscopy has shown potential as a method for characterising biological tissue with the use of a tetrapolar electrode configuration. Brown et al. (2000) demonstrated that the configuration is capable of distinguishing between normal squamous epithelium and Cervical Intra-epithelial Neoplasia (CIN). However little has been done to identify the volumes of tissue that contribute to the measured impedance. Brown et al. employed a probe with a single tetrapolar electrode set thus analysing single points of tissue. The probe was required to be moved in order to "sample" other areas of tissue. This method provides no spatial information of the lesion boundaries. The overall objective of this research was to design and construct an impedance mapping system (IMS) for objective virtual biopsy of lesions by bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS). Initially freshly excised cervical tissue was to be tested however as the study progressed this proved problematic and bovine blood was chosen as a suitable substitute. Specific aims were to; - .Investigate the spatial sensitivity distribution of the tetrapolar electrode configuration via finite element analysis (FEA). - Design a novel front end multiplexing system and multi-electrode array for mapping the impedance of the tissue of interest. - .Experimentally confirm the efficacy of the approach to identify regions of different impedances and their boundaries using bioimpedance mapping. The present study used finite element analysis (FEA) to investigate the spatial variation in sensitivity of the tetrapolar electrode configuration and identify which volumes of tissue were included in the measured impedance. An impedance mapping device was also designed and constructed utilising the tetrapolar electrode configuration in an expanded array of 25 electrodes. This array allowed the surface of an area of tissue to be mapped and lesion boundaries identified in an objective manner. FEA was also used to model lesions in healthy tissue and the sensitivity fields associated with the tetrapolar configuration. The FEA indicated that anomalous results would be obtained when a lesion was located between a drive and measurement electrode pair. In this case the lesion resulted in an increase in impedance with respect to the impedance of healthy tissue, whereas a lesion should result in a decrease in measured impedance relative to that of healthy tissue. The anomaly was found to produce false negative results for small lesions up to 0.4 mm and even a lesion with radius of approximately 0.75 mm could be undetected as the measured impedance spectrum for such a lesion is similar to that of healthy tissue. Modelling also provided insight into the sensitivity fields for an electrode array and its efficacy in accurately measuring the surface impedance of tissue and lesions of interest. The impedance mapping system (IMS) developed used an array of 25 (5x5) electrodes. The array allows 64 individual tetrapolar measurements to be obtained at 16 locations, providing an impedance map of 49 mm2 on the surface of a tissue sample. Multiple measurements at each location reduce the chance of anomalous results since these can be identified and excluded. Software was developed to display the measured impedance maps and regions of different impedance were easily identified Testing of the IMS using bovine blood showed separation of the measured impedance for a range of haematocrit between 0 - 80%. Introduced volumes of red blood cells (RBC) or clots (to mimic lesions) to the plasma (haematocrit 0%) were also clearly identified using the IMS. It was seen that measurements made at the boundary of 2 different haematocrits (ie 2 volumes of different impedance) resulted in an anomalous result as indicated by the FEA modelling. However it was demonstrated that these anomalies can be used to objectively identify the introduced RBC (lesion) boundaries. A more efficient electrode stepping sequence was also developed taking advantage of the reciprocal nature of the tetrapolar electrode configuration. This development allows for the electrode array to be doubled in size using the same components, and to sample twice the surface area in the same time taken using the initially developed system. In summary, an impedance mapping system has been modelled, designed and developed for tissue characterisation by bioimpedance measurements. The technique has been shown experimentally to be able to detect regions of differ- ent impedance and is in agreement with the finite element analysis performed. Further development of the IMS will allow progressive monitoring of suspect lesions in-vivo and better identification of their spatial distribution for biopsy.

[Abstract not available]

Bakgrund Humant papillomvirus (HPV) orsakar vårtor och är en vanligt förekommande könssjukdom världen över. Vaccination mot de vanligaste HPV-typerna som kan orsaka kondylom och leda till cancer ingår sedan 2012 i det allmänna vaccinationsprogrammet för flickor och unga kvinnor. Tidigare forskning visar att unga kvinnor trots låg kunskap om viruset, har en positiv inställning till vaccination. Syfte Att undersöka unga vaccinerade kvinnors kunskap om HPV samt deras kunskap om och inställning till HPV-vaccination. Metod En kvalitativ explorativ studie. The Health Belief Model användes som teoretisk modell. Individuella intervjuer med åtta unga kvinnor som vaccinerats mot HPV. Data analyserades med innehållsanalys. Resultat Totalt genomfördes åtta intervjuer med unga kvinnor födda 1993-1998. Tre kategorier skapades: 1) Bristande kunskap om HPV 2) Tillförlitligt skydd mot cancer samt 3) Vaccinet är tillgängligt. Kunskapen om HPV och HPV-vaccin var låg hos de unga kvinnorna. Den främsta anledningen till att de valde att vaccinera sig var rädsla för cancer, andras inflytande till vaccinering, främst från mödrar, en tilltro till hälso- och sjukvården och till vaccinet samt att vaccinet är tillgängligt. Slutsats Det är tydligt att kunskapen om HPV och vaccinet är låg bland de deltagande unga kvinnorna. Inför framtiden behövs anpassad information till unga kvinnor om viruset och vaccinet för att tillgodose behovet av information. Det är viktigt att unga kvinnor som vaccineras mot HPV har kunskap om vaccinet för att veta hur de skyddar sig mot HPV och att de även ska förstå vikten av att gå på gynekologisk cellprovskontroll som en del av prevention av HPV. / Background Human papillomavirus (HPV) cause warts and is a common sexually transmitted infection worldwide. Vaccination against the most common HPV types that can cause genital warts and cancer is implemented in the national vaccination programme for girls and young women since 2012. Previous research shows that young women, despite low knowledge about the virus, are in favour of the vaccine. Objective To explore young vaccinated women’s knowledge about HPV and knowledge and attitudes towards HPV-vaccination. Method An qualitative explorative study. The Health Belief Model was the  theoretical framework. Individual interviews were conducted with young women vaccinated against HPV. Data were analyzed with content analyses. Results In total eight interviews were undertaken with young women born in 1993-1998. Three categories were revealed through the interviews: 1) Lack of knowledge about HPV 2) Reliable protection against cancer and 3) The vaccine is available. The young women had low knowledge about HPV and HPV vaccine. The main reasons for vaccination were; fear of cancer, influence from others, especially the mothers, trust in the healthcare and the vaccine and the vaccine is available. Conclusion The knowledge of HPV and the vaccine was low among the included women. In the future the iformation about the virus and the vaccine needs to be adapted to the young women to provide the need of information. It is important that young women who are vaccinated against HPV have knowledge about the vaccine to be able to protect themselves against HPV and that they are aware of the importance of attending future cervical cancer screening controls as a part of the prevention against HPV.

Esta investigação teve como proposta a análise das ações de educação permanente desenvolvidas no âmbito do Programa de Prevenção e Detecção Precoce do Câncer do Colo de Útero pelo Ministério da Saúde e pelo Instituto Nacional de Câncer (INCA) e objetivou discutir a viabilidade da introdução da modalidade de Educação à Distância (EAD) nas políticas de capacitação para a atenção do Câncer de colo de útero no Brasil. A base metodológica deste estudo incluiu a pesquisa documental das politicas e diretrizes publicadas pelos órgãos em comento, a análise de dados disponíveis no Cadastro Nacional de Estabelecimentos de Saúde (CNES), os dados relativos à praticas de capacitação para os profissionais que atuam na detecção precoce do câncer pelo Ministério da Saúde e pelo INCA, as práticas de educação à distância na área da saúde e entrevistas com gestores dos dois órgãos citados. As fontes, a coleta, a elaboração e a análise dos dados, foram realizadas considerando as informações e publicações mais recentes, disponíveis até dezembro de 2013. Questionou-se a necessidade de capacitação dos profissionais para atender às necessidades e requisitos das políticas de atenção oncológica de colo de útero no país, se as estratégias de educação continuada para os profissionais que atuam nas diferentes atividades envolvidas neste atendimento são suficientes, como tem sido realizada a capacitação para as diversas regiões do país e que modelo de EAD seria adequado para a educação permanente destes profissionais. Os resultados obtidos na pesquisa revelaram a fragmentação e falta de coordenação nas ações de educação permanente para o Programa de Detecção Precoce do Câncer de Colo de Útero ao passo que demonstrou que existem recursos e estruturas disponíveis para implantação de um modelo de EAD que atenda com plenitude esta política pública, sendo necessário a reorganização destes recursos / This research aimed to the analysis of permanent education actions developed within the scope of the Program for Prevention and Early Detection of the Cervical Cancer by the Ministério da Saúde (Ministry of Health) and the Instituto Nacional do Câncer (INCA - National Cancer Institute) and aimed to discuss the feasibility of introducing Distance Education (EAD) modality in the policies of professional training for Cervical Cancer Care in Brazil. The methodological basis of this study included the documentary research of policies and guidelines published by the mentioned organizations, the analysis of available data in the National Registry of Health Establishments (CNES), data concerning to the practices of professional training that perform in the early detection of cancer by the Ministry of Health and by the INCA, the practices of distance education in the health area and interviews with managers of both organizations mentioned above. The sources, the collection, compilation and analysis of data were performed considering the latest information and publications available until December 2013. It was questioned the need for professional training to meet the needs and requirements of the oncological cervical cancer care policies in the country, if the strategies for continuing education for professionals who work in different activities involved in this care are enough, how the training for the country's various regions has been done and if the Distance Education (EAD) modality could be suitable for these professionals permanent education. The obtained results in this research revealed the fragmentation and lack of coordination on permanent education actions for the Program for the Early Detection of Cervical Cancer, since it demonstrated that there are available resources and structures to implement an EAD model that meets with fullness this public policy, so the reorganization of these resources is necessary

BACKGROUND: Patient navigators have been shown to reduce cancer disparities among racial/ethnic minorities by improving timely diagnosis and treatment of cancer. We sought to determine if race/ethnicity and language concordance of patients and their navigator improved time to diagnostic resolution of breast and cervical cancer screening abnormalities. METHODS: Demographic data on patients and navigators from the Boston Patient Navigation Research Program were used to assess concordance by race, ethnicity, and language. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox proportional hazards regression models examined the association of race/ethnicity and language concordance on time to definitive diagnosis of cancer screening abnormalities. All analyses were performed separately for breast and cervical groups. RESULTS: There were 1257 patients and 23 navigators in this study. In the breast group (n=655), 44% of patient-navigator pairs were concordant by race/ethnicity and 75% were language concordant. In the cervical group (n=602), 70% of patient-navigator pairs were race/ethnicity concordant and 87% were language concordant. There was no association with race/ethnicity concordance and time to diagnostic resolution for the breast group, aHR 1.19 (95% CI: 0.97, 1.46) or cervical group, aHR 1.23 (95% CI: 0.99, 1.53). However, in the stratified analysis, race/ethnicity concordance was associated with timelier resolution for minority women with breast and cervical cancer screening abnormalities but not for Whites. For cervical cancer screening abnormalities resolving in less than 90 days, language concordance was also associated with timelier resolution, aHR of 1.46 (95% CI: 1.18, 1.80) but there was no association in the breast group. In the subgroup analysis of Spanish concordance there was also an association of timelier resolution for those with cervical cancer screening abnormalities resolving in less than 90 days. CONCLUSION: Patient-navigator race/ethnicity concordance is associated with timelier diagnostic resolution of breast and cervical cancer screening abnormalities among minority women. Language concordance is also associated with timelier resolution in participants with cervical cancer screening abnormalities despite the availability and use of interpreters. Given poorer cancer outcomes among minority women, the use of patient navigators that are diverse by race/ethnicity and multilingual may help address barriers to care and improve health outcomes among low-income minorities.

African Americans have higher rates of HPV-related cancer incidence than other ethnicities. A review of 18 studies completed on African Americans and people of African descent was done. African Americans do, in fact have higher rates of HPV-related cancer than other racial groups. The disparity appears to be decreasing over time with increased distribution of knowledge about the human papillomavirus to African American groups. However, studies show that many African American communities lack essential knowledge about the severity of HPV-related cancer, HPV transmission and commonality, and the HPV vaccine itself.

Background: Cervical cancer may be fatal to women if not identified and treated early. In Iraq, cervical cancer ranks as the 10th most frequent cancer among women between 15-44 years of age, with about 291 new cervical cancer cases diagnosed annually. Cervical cancer can be prevented in two ways: primary prevention aimed at preventing HPV infection through prophylactic HPV vaccinations; and secondary prevention aimed at preventing precancerous lesions from progressing into invasive lesions through screening. Cervical cancer screening is under researched in Iraq. It is clear that Iraq’s years of isolation and disorder has resulted in a loss of research capacity. Aim: To provide evidence–based strategies to establish population based cervical cancer screening services in Iraq. Methods: A mixed methods sequential exploratory design was used; an iterative mixed method approach which included the triangulation of qualitative, quantitative and systematic review methods. Results of all phases were used to develop an emergent theory around the barriers for establishing cervical screening programme and to provide evidence to enhance cervical cancer screening services to be established in Iraq. Findings: The findings from the systematic review indicated significant health inequalities for Arab Muslim women, in that no population-based cervical cancer screening programmes have been implemented in most of Western Asian and Middle Eastern Arab countries. Findings from the qualitative phase revealed gap in theoretical and practical knowledge among the health care professionals regarding cervical cancer screening programmes with a lack of the capacity and infrastructure to establish population based cervical screening programme in Kirkuk, Iraq. Also, results suggest that the health behaviour of women living in Kirkuk is influenced by cultural ‘stigma’ around the word ‘cancer’, in addition to women’s lack of awareness in relation to smear test and cervical screening. Conclusion: Women in Iraq are more likely to be diagnosed at an advanced, rather than early stage of cervical cancer. These women should be targeted by cervical cancer screening and health education programmes. Policy makers need to improve the cervical screening infrastructure and make the cervical screening service more accessible to women. The current opportunistic cervical screening services are insufficient; there is an urgent need to developing cervical cancer intervention programmes.

Introduction Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide. An estimated 62,000 cases of cervical cancer occur annually in China, accounting for 12% of global incidence. Virtually all cervical cancers are related to infection by Human Papilloma Virus (HPV): effective HPV vaccines have been developed and vaccination programmes introduced in many countries over the last decade. Given the burden of cervical cancer in China, it is imperative that effective primary and secondary prevention strategies are introduced. Effective introduction of HPV vaccination programmes will require education and information strategies that are informed by a comprehensive understanding of the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about HPV infection and its relationship to cervical cancer in the Chinese population. Aims and objectives The aims of my thesis are: 1) to systematically review the evidence from the Chineselanguage literature in relation to knowledge of and attitude towards HPV infection and HPV vaccination, and 2) to explore knowledge and attitudes about HPV infection, HPV vaccination and cervical screening amongst teenagers in Heilongjiang province in China. Methods I undertook a systematic literature review using two electronic Chinese databases – the ‘Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure’ (CNKI) database and the ‘Wanfang’ database. These were searched from inception through November 30th 2012: MeSH terms were applied to both Chinese databases. Manual searching of relevant online journals was also undertaken. Following selection of papers based on pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria, quality assessment was carried out using a modified quality assessment checklist, and included studies were classified as good, fair or poor quality. Due to heterogeneity of populations and survey instruments a narrative approach was adopted for data synthesis. I also undertook a questionnaire survey of high-school students in China. Questions were designed based on the Health Belief Model, informed by findings from my systematic review, and refined through cognitive interviews prior to field work in early 2014. The survey targeted students in five public high schools in one middle-income city (Mudanjiang city) and two small counties (Ning’an and Hailin) of Heilongjiang province; 3788 young people aged 14-22 years participated. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to summarise demographic characteristics; initially differences were identified using the chi-square test. Factor analysis was applied to identify attitude patterns and logistic regression analysis models were applied to determine the association between attitude (potential predictors) and acceptability, attitude and levels of knowledge. Results Forty seven articles met my inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review. All included studies were published between 2006 and 2011; all were cross-sectional questionnaire surveys with sample sizes ranging from 100 – 9,865. The quality of included studies varied considerably. Included populations ranged from the general public, to young people, and health professionals. Awareness of HPV and knowledge of the relationship between HPV and cervical cancer, and of the sexually transmitted nature of HPV, were the main issues examined. Awareness of HPV was low among all non-health professionals groups. Similarly, understanding of the relationship between HPV infection and cervical cancer and of the sexually transmitted nature of HPV was low. However, significant differences in awareness and knowledge were found, based on urban/rural status, ethnicity and age. Uighur women had the lowest awareness and knowledge levels, followed by rural women adults, and teenagers. Acceptability of HPV vaccination varied in terms of the vaccine target recipients (whether adult women, or for their daughters), and between health professionals and the general public). Reported levels of HPV vaccine acceptability (for women adults themselves and for their daughters) were higher in North China compared to South China. Health professionals were less willing to accept the vaccine for their daughters than they were to receiving it themselves. The cost, source and appropriate age for HPV vaccination were also frequently examined issues. Importantly, a high proportion of the health professionals believed that the appropriate age for vaccine was over 18 years old for girls. 3788 participants aged 14-22 years were included in the questionnaire survey, with 54% females and 20% urban students. Overall awareness of HPV was 13.2% and acceptability of the HPV vaccine was 68%. Knowledge levels varied in different content areas; for example 74% of respondents knew that HPV vaccination is not 100% effective against cervical cancer while only 6% knew that poor personal hygiene did not increase the risk of contracting HPV infection. Attitudes towards HPV infection and vaccination were also interesting and novel; the greatest concern about HPV vaccination was minor side effects (72%). The highest-rated source of recommendations about HPV vaccination was parents (66%), while there were concerns expressed about ‘gossip’ in relation to HPV vaccination (51%). No urban/rural differences were found in knowledge and attitudes - gender differences existed, but depended on specific circumstances. Participants who were willing to accept HPV vaccination were more likely to be influenced by others, to report high perceived severity of HPV and cervical cancer, to perceive benefits of HPV vaccination and to score well on knowledge questions. Participants with high knowledge scores for HPV infection and vaccination were more likely to consider HPV infection and cervical cancer to be serious, and were less likely to associate HPV infection with stigma. Participants who had high levels of awareness of HPV infection were more likely to be influenced by others in relation to accepting HPV vaccination. Discussion My thesis has produced new and novel findings in relation to HPV vaccination knowledge, attitudes and beliefs in China. Low levels of awareness and knowledge amongst Chinese people may be influenced by traditional Chinese culture, which perhaps makes people more reluctant to consider issues related to sexual practices. Another possible explanation is that people tended to under-report knowledge of HPV when answering the questions in the survey in order to conform to social norms in China - these topics are highly sensitive in China. High levels of acceptability of HPV vaccines may have also been influenced by ‘ways of thinking’ among Chinese people; their natural inclination is to accept all recommendations for vaccination from government agencies – so they may not have thought hard about this choice. There is optimism in the Chinese population that cancer can be prevented by vaccination – indeed, they are inclined to believe it will prevent disease that can generate serious health impacts in the future. Nevertheless, some Chinese people have conservative attitudes towards the effectiveness of HPV vaccination and some suspicion of the drug companies which produce these vaccines. There were significant methodological issues in my comparisons of Western and Chinese literature. Western literature is more likely to comprise good quality studies – typically there are better-defined sampling frames, more valid and reliable instruments and robust theoretical frameworks. The difference in quality between Chinese and Western literature arises from the stricter rules for reporting and evaluation in western publications and the relatively low publishing standards in Chinese literature. / My thesis also details a number of methodological issues which arose in conducting my questionnaire survey – ideally, I would like to follow up the work I have done with a multi-centre population-based study among teenagers in China (an idea which I will pursue once I return to China). This would hopefully provide better quality information on the influences of factors such as socio-economic status and family background in determining acceptability of HPV vaccination. Nevertheless, my relatively modest, school-based study has, I believe, produced results which add to the information available to health care planners and policy makers in the field of HPV vaccination in China. Conclusion My systematic review is, to my knowledge, the first to identify and synthesise findings about knowledge of and attitude towards HPV infection and vaccination in the Chinese literature – as such, it addresses a gap in currently available evidence. Although there are methodological limitations in Chinese literature (with more poor quality studies), the results still have implications for further health education intervention programmes and health policy. My questionnaire survey was also a ‘first’ in many ways – it explored attitudes towards HPV vaccines based on Health Belief Model among Chinese teenagers and examined HPV related stigma among mainland Chinese teenagers. Low levels of awareness and knowledge and conservative attitudes towards sexually related infections suggest the impact of Chinese traditional culture and a range of other social and financial constraints in China. Hence, there is a great deal to be done before HPV vaccination can be implemented in China – there are educational needs, and in many areas societal and cultural attitudes need to be challenged. Significant changes are also need in government policy and investment – these are major challenges for health care in China, and I sincerely hope my thesis will contribute to these important debates.

Introdução: Após o tratamento primário do câncer invasor de colo de útero, não existe protocolo de seguimento rigorosamente definido para essas pacientes. O tipo de acompanhamento dessas mulheres é individualizado, e não há consenso sobre a melhor estratégia a ser adotada. Objetivo: Avaliar o papel dos exames de seguimento (exame físico, citologia e exames de imagens) pós-tratamento de neoplasia de colo uterino no diagnóstico de recidivas assintomáticas e sintomáticas. Material e métodos: Foram revisados todos os prontuários das pacientes com diagnóstico de câncer de colo uterino desde 1985 até 2010. Nesse período, houve um total de 359 pacientes elegíveis para o estudo, sendo 64 destas com recidiva tumoral. Todas as análises estatísticas foram realizadas com a ajuda do programa SPSS v.18.0. Foi considerado um nível de significância de 5%. Resultados: Das 359 pacientes consideradas para o estudo, 64 (17,8%) apresentaram recidiva tumoral. Destas, 34 (53,1%) foram sintomáticas, e 30 (46,9%), assintomáticas. A maioria das pacientes teve sua recidiva diagnosticada através do exame físico, tanto no grupo das pacientes sintomáticas (50%) como no das assintomáticas (66,7%) (p = 0000). O exame citopatológico foi o responsável pela detecção da recidiva em somente um caso em ambos os grupos, correspondendo a 2,9 e 3,3%, respectivamente (p = 0000). Os exames de imagem (raio X de tórax, tomografia abdominal, ecografia abdominal, cintilografia óssea) somam 10 casos (29,4%) dos diagnósticos nas pacientes sintomáticas e oito casos (26,6%) nas assintomáticas (p = 0000). Não houve diferença estatisticamente significativa entre os grupos ou entre os diferentes métodos de detecção de recidiva. Ajustando para potenciais fatores de confusão, como a idade e o tipo de tratamento, também não houve associação. Conclusão: O grande sinalizador de recidiva tumoral neste estudo foi o exame físico. Nenhum dos exames coadjuvantes foi capaz de detectar as recorrências, tanto nas pacientes sintomáticas como nas assintomáticas. Esses resultados mostram a grande necessidade de estudos prospectivos que comparem a efetividade de diferentes regimes de seguimento que avaliem questões como a sobrevida global e a qualidade de vida. / Introduction: There is no strictly defined follow-up protocol for patients who have undergone primary treatment for invasive cervical cancer. These women are managed on a case-by-case basis and there is no consensus on the first-choice strategy. Objective: To evaluate the role played by follow-up tests and examinations (physical examination, cytology and imaging exams) in diagnosing symptomatic and asymptomatic relapses after treatment for neoplasms of the cervix. Materials and Methods: Data were collected from medical records for all patients diagnosed with cervical cancer from 1985 to 2010. There were a total of 359 eligible patients during that period, 64 of whom had tumor relapses. All statistical analyses were performed with the aid of SPSS v.18.0. The significance level adopted was 5%. Results: Sixty-four (17.8%) of the 359 patients investigated suffered tumor relapse. Thirty-four (53.1%) were symptomatic and 30 (46.9%) were asymptomatic. A majority of patients had tumor relapse diagnosed during physical examination, both among the symptomatic patients (50%), and the asymptomatic patients (66.7%) (p = 0.274). Cytopathology was responsible for detecting relapse in just 1 case in each group, corresponding to 2.9 and 3.3%, respectively (p = 0.999 Imaging exams (chest X-ray, abdominal tomography, abdominal ultrasound, bone scintigraphy) detected 10 (29.4%) relapses among symptomatic patients and 8 cases (26.6%) among asymptomatic patients (p = 0.770). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups or between the different methods of detecting relapses. There was still no association after adjustment for potential confounding factors such as age and type of treatment. Conclusions: Physical examination was the preeminent method for detecting tumor relapse in this study. None of the other tests or exams were capable of detecting relapses in both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. These results highlights the urgent need for prospective studies that compare the efficacy of different follow-up regimes, analyzing factors such as global survival and quality of life.

A infecção pelo Papilomavírus Humano (HPV) é um fator associado com o desenvolvimento do câncer de colo de útero. A freqüência de mulheres com infecção genital pelo HPV é consideravelmente mais elevada que o número de mulheres com câncer cervical. Este fato torna relevante a busca de um entendimento maior deste processo, como por exemplo, a predisposição imunológica do hospedeiro. Este estudo tem como objetivo avaliar a freqüência do polimorfismo presente na região promotora (-1082) do gene da IL10 e sua associação com a infecção genital pelo HPV. Trata-se de um estudo de casos e controles, sendo os casos, 84 mulheres com infecção genital por HPV e resultado anatomopatológico alterado. Os controles corresponderam a 211 mulheres HPV-DNA negativas e com exame citopatológico sem alterações. Ambos, casos e controles, são oriundos da população participante de um estudo coorte conduzido previamente. A técnica de amplificação refratária de mutações (ARMS-PCR) foi utilizada para a identificação do polimorfismo presente na região promotora (-1082) do gene da IL10. O cálculo de Equilíbrio de Hardy-Weinberg foi utilizado para verificar se as freqüências genotípicas observadas estão de acordo com as esperadas na população em estudo. O método de Regressão logística múltipla foi utilizado para verificar a associação das variáveis estudadas com o desfecho (infecção genital pelo HPV). A freqüência genotípica observada em mulheres com a infecção foi de 12,0% (AA), 29,0% (AG) e 59,0% (GG). No grupo controle, foi de 22,8% (AA), 48,8% (AG) e 28,4% (GG). Houve diferença significativa entre os grupos estudados (p<0,001). Entre as mulheres com infecção, as lesões de baixo grau (LSIL), predominantes nessa amostra (73,8%), a freqüência do genótipo GG foi 62,9 %. Nos casos com lesões de alto grau (HSIL) (26,2%), o genótipo AG foi observado em 36,4%. Não houve diferença estatisticamente significativa na distribuição dos genótipos em lesões de alto e baixo grau (p=0,59). Além disso, foi observada diferença de significância limítrofe entre a distribuição da freqüência dos genótipos comparando mulheres com HPV oncogênicos em relação a mulheres HPV negativas (p=0,05). Observou-se que o grupo etário (RC=5,00; IC95%:2,33 – 10,75), e o genótipo GG (RC=4,41; IC95%:1,87 – 10,42) apresentaram-se independentemente associados ao desfecho (infecção genital pelo HPV). As variáveis, escolaridade (RC=3,28; 1,00 – 11,18) e coinfecção por HIV (RC=10,64; 1,00-111,11) apresentaram significância limítrofe. Com estes resultados, é possível sugerir que a predisposição determinada geneticamente para a produção de altos níveis de IL10 (GG) parece estar associada à infecção genital pelo HPV, mostrando a importância da resposta imunológica do hospedeiro no processo de infecção e na progressão das lesões cervicais pelo HPV. / Infection with Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a necessary cause of cervical cancer. The frequency of women infected by HPV is much more elevated than the number of women who develop cervical cancer. Regarding this observation, the search for a better understanding of this process, such as the host immune predisposition, may contribute to its enlightenment. This study aims to evaluate the frequency of the polymorphism in the promoter region (-1082) of the IL10 gene and its association with HPV genital infection. This is a case-control study. A total of 84 cases and 211 controls were enrolled. Cases corresponded to women with HPV genital infection and abnormal histopathological results, and controls were HPV-DNA negatives and with normal cytologic results. The technique of amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS-PCR) was used to identify the polymorphism present at the promoter region (-1082) of the IL10 gen. The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was used to verify whether genotypic frequencies were in agreement with the ones expected in the studied population. Multiple logistic regression was used to verify the association between the study factors and the outcome (genital infection by HPV). The genotypic frequency distribution among cases and controls was 12.0% (AA), 29.0% (AG), 59.0% (GG), and 22.0% (AA), 49.0% (AG), 29.0% (GG), respectively. There was a significant difference between the groups (p<0.001). Among the HPV infected women, the low grade lesions (LSIL), predominant in this sample (73.8%) the GG genotype frequency was (62.9%) In those with high grade lesions (HSIL), the AG genotype was observed in (36.4%). No significant association was observed between the genotypes when comparing low and high grade lesions (26.2%). In addition, a borderline significance was observed between the genotype frequency when comparing women infected by a high risk HPV with those HPV-DNA negatives. Age group (OR=5.00; 95%CI: 2.33 – 10.75), and the GG genotype (4.41; 1.87 – 10.42) were independently associated to the outcome (HPV genital infection). The variables schooling (3.28; 1.00 – 11.18) and HIV co-infection (10.64; 1.00- 111.11) presented a borderline significance. The results suggest that a genetic predisposition to produce high levels of IL10 (GG) may be associated to the HPV genital infection, and they indicate the relevance of the host immune response in the development and progression of HPV-related cervical lesions.