1 Associations of human gene EPB41L3 DNA methylation and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in women living with HIV-1 in Africa Running title: EPB41L3 DNA methylation among women with HIV-1 Authors: Helen KELLY 1 , Admire CHIKANDIWA 2 , Rhian WARMAN 3 , Michel SEGONDY 4 , Bernard SAWADOGO 5 , Natasa VASILJEVIC 3 , Marie-Noelle Didelot 4 , Nicolas MEDA 5 , Helen A WEISS 1, 6 , Sinead DELANY- MORETLWE 2 , Philippe MAYAUD 1, 2 , Attila LORINCZ 3 Affiliations: 1 London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK 2 Wits Reproductive Health & HIV Institute (Wits RHI), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa 3 Queen Mary University of London, Centre for Cancer Prevention, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Barts & the London School of Medicine, London, UK 4 INSERM U1058 and University Hospital (CHRU), Montpellier, France 5 Centre de Recherche Internationale en Santé, University of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso 6 MRC Tropical Epidemiology Group, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK Corresponding authors: Helen Kelly, Clinical Research Department, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, United Kingdom, WC1E7HT (e- mail:helen.kelly@lshtm.ac.uk), Attila Lorincz, Queen Mary University of London, Centre for Cancer Prevention, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Barts & the London School of Medicine, London, UK (e-mail: a.lorincz@qmul.ac.uk). Competing interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.