Correlation between Abnormal Pap Smear Finding and Brachial-ankle Pulse Wave Velocity in Korean Women

BACKGROUND Cervical cancer is caused by chronic human papilloma virus (HPV) infection. Pap smear is very efficient examination for early detecting cervical cancer. Inflammation reaction due to chronic infection is one of the major causes of atherosclerosis. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is commonly used in predicting subclinical atherosclerosis. But no study was done about correlation between cervical cancer and PWV. METHODS The research population, 1,779 people, had been chosen from the patients from Jan. 1st, 2008 to December 31st, 2010, visited health exam center who had done both PWV test and pap smear without any medical history of obstetrics and gynecological disease. The group was divided into two respective groups, 45 people with abnormal finding and 228 people with normal finding. The correlation was analyzed between risk factor of cervical cancer and brachial-ankle PWV. Multiple regression analysis was performed with associated variables. RESULTS Average PWV of normal group was 1,313.06 ± 264.19 and 1,497.15 ± 359.58 was for abnormal. The PWV of abnormal group was statistically significant (p = 0.0006) with association between risk factors of cervical cancer and PWV, age, height, weight, income, gravidity. Multiple regression was done with correcting these variables. PWV was associated with abnormal Pap smear but result, were not found to be significant (p = 0.054). CONCLUSION The result was not statistically confident but more mass studies are needed to correcting those limitation.