ABSTRACT
Genital infection by human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the world. Its global prevalence among women without cervical abnormalities is 12%, with higher rates in Africa (24%), Eastern Europe (21%), and Latin America (16%). HPV infection is related to six types of carcinomas: cervix, penis, vulva, vagina, anus, and oropharynx. All HPVs have a special affinity for epithelial cells, and infection persists in the dividing basal cells of the cutaneous or mucosal epithelium. HPV gains access to host cells through microabrasions in the epithelium. HPV infection is considered to be latent when the virus can only be detected by sensitive molecular methods in an otherwise normal epithelium without any cytological, morphological, or colposcopic alterations. Progress in developing effective therapies for HPV infection has been slow, mainly due to difficulties in studying the biology and pathogenesis of these viruses, which have a unique and complex replication cycle.
