Molecular epidemiology of human papillomavirus.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been considered to be an etiologic factor for anogenital cancers, such as cervical cancer and possibly a subset of cancers of the aerodigestive tract. These small, non-enveloped, double-stranded DNA viruses primarily infect the epithelium and induce benign as well as malignant lesions of the mucosa and skin. Some HPVs are considered to be high-risk due to their strong implication in carcinogenesis, particularly the malignant progression of cervical tumors. The recognition of papillomaviruses as a major etiologic agent for human cancers has increased their medical importance and stimulated research into developing strategies for the screening, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of HPV-associated diseases.