Prevalence and risk factors of oral HPV infection among a healthy Iranian population; Kurdistan, West of Iran

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has implicated in the development of some of the oral/oropharyngeal cancers. However, controversy still exists regarding the prevalence of oral HPV (OHPV) and its risk factors. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and variables of OHPV infection in a healthy Iranian population. This study evaluated 300 oral rinse samples. Following the oral and dental examination of participants and filling out a self‐administered questionnaire; samples collected by swishing and gargling 0.09% saline. The viral DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction and HPV genotyping then performed. Prevalence of OHPV DNA/OHPV+ infection and OHPV genotypes was 12% and 1% (two cases of HPV6 and one case of HPV53), respectively. Comparison of variables between OHPV+ and OHPV− groups revealed that only income ( P  = .045), number of cigarettes smoked per day ( P  = .002), and number of teeth in the mouth ( P  = .005) were significantly different between the two groups. In conclusion, prevalence of OHPV+ infection and its genotypes were very low in our healthy Iranian population, and its association was not significant with the majority of suggested risk factors. Further studies with a larger sample size are recommended to determine OHPV infection risk factors.