Association between serum folate and vitamin B12 and cervical high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.

person Josephine Peitz University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD info_outline Josephine Peitz, Clement Adebayo Adebamowo, Sally Nneoma Adebamowo

Authors person Josephine Peitz University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD info_outline Josephine Peitz, Clement Adebayo Adebamowo, Sally Nneoma Adebamowo Organizations University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health and Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD Abstract Disclosures Research Funding Other Foundation American Cancer Society Research Scholar Grant RSG-22-079-01-CSCT Background: Serum concentration of folate (vitamin B9) and vitamin B12 were inversely associated with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer in some studies. The association between folate and vitamin B12, and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has not been well elucidated. We evaluated whether low serum level of folate and vitamin B12 was associated with high-risk HPV (hrHPV) infection. Methods: The study population was 6,452 women, aged 18-59 years old, enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), from 2003 to 2016, in the United States. In this cross-sectional study, odds ratios (ORs) of hrHPV were calculated, by quintiles of low folate and vitamin B12 combined, using logistic regression models. Results: The mean age (standard deviation) of the women was 36.98 (12.19) years. Women in the lowest quintile had less than 20.6 nmol/L of folate and less than 248 pmol/L of vitamin B12. Some of the women, 23% (1,509/6,452), were hrHPV positive. In age-adjusted models, low folate and vitamin B12 was significantly associated with hrHPV infection. The ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) was (OR: 0.704, 95% CI: 0.509 - 0.975, p = 0.034) for the second, (OR: 0.671, 95% CI: 0.479 - 0.940, p = 0.020) third, (OR: 0.534, 95% CI: 0.370 - 0.770, p = 0.0008) fourth and (OR: 0.476, 95% CI: 0.33 - 0.679, p < 0.0001) fifth quintiles, compared to women in the lowest quintile. The association remained statistically significant after the models were further adjusted for smoking status and income level; women in the highest quintile were less likely to have hrHPV infection compared to those in the lowest quintile (OR: 0.541, 95% CI: 0.343 - 0.855, p = 0.008). Conclusions: This study supports an association between low serum levels of folate and vitamin B12, and hrHPV infection, among women in the United States.