Comparative analysis of vaginal inflammatory cytokines among HPV-positive and HPV-negative women in Manila, Philippines

Problem: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is considered the necessary cause of cervical cancer. Studies showed that disruption of the inflammatory milieu in the cervicovaginal mucosa can promote the persistence of HPV, which can result in cervical carcinogenesis. This study determined sociodemographic factors and vaginal inflammatory cytokines associated with HPV infection in Manila, Philippines.

Method: Cervicovaginal swab samples from 110 sexually active women, ages 21 and above, from Manila, diagnosed using real-time PCR, were selected for comparative expression analysis using sandwich-type ELISA of the cytokines IL-6, IL-8, IL-1b, IL-10, and TNF-α. Independent t-test, Wilcoxon Rank Sum, and Chi-square test were employed. Multivariable logistic regression was conducted to determine factors associated with HPV infection.

Results: Sociodemographic and behavioral factors analyzed in this study did not show a significant association with HPV infection. IL-8 was significantly lower (p < 0.0001) while IL-10 was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in the HPV-positive group compared to the HPV-negative samples. Multivariable logistic regression showed that higher IL-1b (OR: 1.007; 95% CI: 1.003-1.012) and lower IL-8 levels (OR: 0.979; 95% CI: 0.970-0.989) were associated with increased odds of HPV infection. IL-8 promotes neutrophil recruitment and viral clearance, IL-1β drives inflammation but may foster persistence via IL-17 induction, and IL-10 suppresses antiviral immunity, enabling HPV evasion.

Conclusion: This study showed that lower IL-8 and higher IL-1β levels were independent predictors of HPV infection. These changes in the microenvironment may control immune cell infiltration and help establish HPV infection.