What does it mean to be positive for human papillomavirus type 58?

  Human papillomavirus (HPV) is transmitted mainly through sexual intercourse. People are usually asymptomatic in the early stages of HPV infection, but persistent infection can cause a variety of diseases and even induce malignant tumors such as cervical cancer. There are more than 100 types of HPV identified, and different types cause different diseases. According to its carcinogenicity, it can be divided into low-risk and high-risk types. Low-risk HPV mainly causes skin or genital tract warts, while high-risk HPV infection may lead to cervical precancer and cervical cancer. Among them, HPV type 58 is a cancer-causing high-risk type. Therefore, according to the related expert consensus, patients are recommended to take prevention by the following matters: 1. Visit hospital gynecology department for liquid-based cytology (TCT), p16INK4a and Ki-67 double-staining method (detection of viral protein), high-risk HPV oncogenes E6/E7 mRNA, multiple methylation and DNA ploidy detection. If one is positive, referral for colposcopy is recommended. Based on colposcopy, determine whether the patient should be given a cervical pathology biopsy; 2. If all tests are abnormal, a high-risk PCR-HPV-DNA typing retest is recommended after 1 year. If the test result is negative, it indicates that the HPV virus has been cleared. At the same time, it is recommended that the partner should also do PCR-HPV-DNA typing test. If the male partner is confirmed to have HPV infection, he should take precautions to avoid HPV infection again as much as possible; if the test result is positive, he needs to continue to follow up with the review on time.  The majority of HPV infections in the genital tract are transient, and about 90% of HPV infections subside within 2 years, as the body’s own immune system can usually clear HPV. The time to regression is largely determined by the type of HPV, with high-risk HPV taking 8-24 months. Only persistent high-risk HPV infection may lead to cervical precancerous lesions. Therefore, even if the HPV high-risk type is found positive but other tests are negative, patients do not need to worry too much, as long as they are reviewed regularly.