Nationwide Prevalence and Genotype Distribution of High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Infection in China

Abstract Objectives Extended high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) genotype testing has recently been introduced in routine cervical cancer screening. Changes in national and regional hrHPV genotype prevalence offer an objective baseline indicator of the future impact of mass HPV vaccination and HPV-based cervical screening. Methods This retrospective study reports nationwide hrHPV genotyping results from July 2018 to June 2019 in 29 KingMed Diagnostics laboratories throughout China. Results In total, 2,458,227 hrHPV genotyping results were documented from KingMed’s nationwide laboratory database during the study period. The overall prevalence of hrHPV-positive results was 19.1%, with twin peaks for highest hrHPV infection rates in women younger than 30 years of age (22.0%) and 50 years of age and older (21.8%). The most frequently detected hrHPV genotypes were HPV-52 (4.7%), HPV-16 (3.4%), HPV-53 (2.5%), HPV-58 (2.4%), HPV-51 (2.0%), and HPV-68 (1.6%). Overall, hrHPV-positive results varied regionally from 15.3% to 24.4%. Conclusions Nationwide hrHPV genotyping results from KingMed laboratories offer a baseline for measuring the future impact of large-scale HPV vaccination. High hrHPV infection rates in older (≥50 years) Chinese women likely reflect the limited extent of cervical screening in China. High rates of hrHPV infection and variable regional hrHPV genotype distribution may represent limiting factors for cost-effective implementation of hrHPV-based cervical screening in China.