Medicine

HPV – human papillomavirus. Causes, symptoms, treatment

The human papillomavirus is one of the causes of cancer development in both women and men. How you can get infected? What are the symptoms and effects? Finally, is it possible to get rid of HPV from the body? You will find the answers to all these questions below.

Human papillomavirus – what is it?

Nowadays, more than 120 types of human papilloma are known. The symptoms they cause are very diverse – they can be completely harmless warts on the skin or, in the case of chronic infection, changes leading to the development of cancer. Infection occurs through contact with the skin of an infected person. More than 40 of the HPV types are transmitted sexually.

What are the causes of HPV?

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease, i.e. through any sexual contact. Infection can occur through genital-genital contact, as well as oral-genital and genital-anal contact. Transmission of the virus is also possible by using the same personal care items, underwear and even a towel. This happens very rarely and is mainly the case when the lesions are present on the external genitalia. Most people are infected with human papillomas, but only in some of them the virus is malignant, which causes the infection to become chronic, and it’s associated with the risk of developing cancer – mainly cervical cancer, vulvar cancer, vaginal cancer and throat cancer. HPV is the cause of cancer development in 3.3% of women and 2% of men.

HPV and cancer – is infection synonymous with disease?

In many cases, HPV infection is asymptomatic, and the infection itself is fought by the immune system, which puts it into regression. However, some types cause changes in the body that cause neoplasms to develop. For this reason, HPV viruses are divided into two groups – low-oncogenic and highly-oncogenic.

Low-oncogenic HPV viruses – this group includes types 6, 11, 13, 30, 32, 34, 40, 42, 43, 44, 53, 54, 55, 57, 61, 62, 64, 66, 68, 69. Infection with them is associated with a low risk of developing cervical cancer. They occur in men and women, causing papillary lesions of the genital organs of a benign nature (genital warts).
Highly-oncogenic HPV viruses – this group includes types 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 67. Infection with them is associated with a high risk of cancer development – not only of the cervix, but also cancer of the vagina, vulva and anus.

Infection with HPV types 16 and 18 is associated with a significantly increased risk of uncontrolled cell division of the cervical epithelium, and thus the risk of developing cervical cancer. According to the results of research published in the scientific journal The Lancet, HPV types 16 and 18 are responsible for the development of cervical cancer in ⅔ of cases.

Infection with HPV itself is not synonymous with cancer development. However, you should remember to undergo regular examinations and remain under the supervision of a doctor. In order to reduce the risk of the infection turning into a chronic infection, it is necessary to take care of immune system, which allows for more effective fight against the virus.

What are the symptoms of HPV infection?

HPV infection has four phases:

The first phase – this is the period from the moment of infection until the first changes appear on the surface of the epithelium. In this phase, if the female genitalia is infected, the Pap smear results are good. Only specialized virological examination is able to detect the presence of the human papillomavirus;
The latency phase – it can last even for several years, and then go into the subclinical phase;
Subclinical phase – during its duration, more and more visible changes appear on the epithelium, and it can be diagnosed by cytological or colposcopic examination;
Clinical phase – in this phase lesions (condylomas or neoplasms) become visible to the naked eye.

A characteristic feature of HPV infection is the absence of symptoms in the first stages of development in both women and men. The first of them – itching, burning and purulent discharge – become noticeable only when changes in the structure of the epithelium are noticeable. It should also be remembered that the cause of the symptoms is not HPV itself, but the accompanying it bacterial and fungal infection.

The symptoms of HPV also vary depending on the part of the body that is infected. In the case of the female genitalia, they appear as a result of the development of the cancer. These symptoms include:

Bleeding between periods;
Vaginal bleeding after intercourse;
Lower abdominal pain that occurs during intercourse or when urinating;
More heavy periods than usual;
Profuse vaginal discharge;
Odorous vaginal discharge.

Occasionally, the human papillomavirus appears in the mouth, causing cancer of the throat and nasopharynx. The symptoms that occur are similar to those of a common throat infection. For this reason, cancer diagnosis can be difficult.

HPV – what test to perform?

The tests that give the most reliable results are the DNA test and molecular PCR methods. Thanks to them, it is possible to precisely determine which type of human papillomavirus we are dealing with. This examination gives a chance of detecting it at a very early stage, and thus allows for faster implementation of appropriate treatment methods. Performing such a test is recommended primarily in the case of sexually active women, but it should also be performed by men – HPV may lead to the development of, among others, penile cancer. In addition, it’s important to remember that carriers can infect their partners with the virus.

HPV diagnostics also consists in performing cytological and colposcopic tests, which in a way confirm the diagnosis. A positive result means that changes in the epithelium have appeared in the cervix, which may be a sign of a developing cancer.

In the era of common telemedicine and the availability of medical services via the Internet, more and more often you can also come across special kits designed to perform certain tests without leaving your home. One of them is the aforementioned HPV genetic test. Liquid cytology – LBC is also enjoying a growing popularity.

You can read more about it in the article: Liquid Based Cytology (LBC) – everything you need to know

What is the treatment of HPV?

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a cure for HPV. Treatment is a process whereby the immune system is stimulated to help it fight the virus. The treatment method will also vary depending on the type of human papilloma virus the person is infected with. For some types of skin warts, dermatological medications are effective, while for others it may not be possible to get rid of HPV. It is worth considering virus infection after it occurs. Prevention, the basis of which is HPV vaccination, plays an important role. This way, infection with all types of HPV cannot be ruled out, but infection with the most common and most dangerous variants can be avoided.

For more information on immunization, see the article: HPV Vaccine – what do you need to know?