Diagnostic potential of liquid biopsy in patients with HPV-associated diseases of the anogenital region. A review

Abstract

Human papillomavirus (HPV) represents the most prevalent sexually transmitted infection worldwide. According to data from the World Health Organization, over 290 million women globally are infected, with prevalence rates among sexually active individuals ranging from 50% to 80%. The high prevalence of oncogenic HPV significantly contributes to the development of cervical, vulvar, vaginal, and anal cancers. This underscores the clinical relevance of the infection and emphasizes the need to identify the earliest and most informative diagnostic methods. The minimally invasive liquid biopsy technique, which detects viral and tumor nucleic acids in biological fluids such as blood, urine, and saliva, offers new avenues for diagnosing and predicting precancerous and malignant diseases of the anogenital region. In contrast to traditional biopsy methods that require surgical intervention to obtain tissue samples, liquid biopsy is a safe, painless alternative that allows repeated testing at necessary intervals. To date, several biomarkers with promising diagnostic potential have been identified in gynecological oncology. Among these, microRNAs (miRNAs) – short non-coding RNAs that regulate post-transcription gene expression – have emerged as particularly noteworthy. In the context of HPV-associated carcinogenesis, the viral infection induces alterations in miRNA expression within infected epithelial cells, which subsequently leads to distinctive changes in their profiles in blood, urine, and saliva. These characteristics position miRNAs as potential candidates for the development of non-invasive diagnostic panels, warranting further investigation in this field.