Open AccessPrevalence and determinants of oral infection by Human Papillomavirus in HIV-infected and uninfected men who have sex with men
Author(s) -
Francesca Rollo,
Alessandra Latini,
Barbara Pichi,
Manuela Colafigli,
Maria Benevolo,
Ilenia Sinopoli,
Isabella Sperduti,
Valentina Laquintana,
Giulia Fabbri,
Mirko Frasca,
Antonio Cristaudo,
Maria Gabriella Donà
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0184623
Subject(s) - medicine , hpv infection , population , human papillomavirus , men who have sex with men , young adult , genotyping , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , cancer , immunology , cervical cancer , genotype , biology , syphilis , biochemistry , environmental health , gene
Background Oral Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection is rare in the general population but common in high-risk individuals. Recent data indicate that oral HPV is associated with the development of head and neck carcinomas. HPV16 infection, in particular, increases the risk of oropharyngeal cancer. Methods We evaluated oral HPV prevalence and determinants of infection in cancer-free HIV-infected and uninfected men who have sex with men (MSM) recruited among attendees of an STI/HIV centre. Oral rinse and gargles were collected using a mouthwash and analyzed with the Linear Array HPV Genotyping Test. Socio-demographic and behavioral data were collected through face-to-face interviews. Results Overall, 170 MSM participated: 98 HIV-uninfected and 72 HIV-infected (91.7% under cART). Oral HPV was detected in 17.3% and 27.8% of the subjects, respectively (p = 0.13). Non-carcinogenic HPVs were significantly more common among HIV-infected MSM (18.1% vs. 5.1%, p = 0.01). Prevalence of the HPV types included in the quadrivalent HPV vaccine was similar (6.1% vs. 8.3% for the HIV-negative and positive MSM, respectively, p = 0.76). HPV16 was the most frequent type in HIV-negative (5.1%), and HIV-positive individuals, in the latter group together with HPV18, 72 and 84 (4.2% each). Older age at first sex (AOR: 4.02, 95% CI: 1.17–13.86 for those older than 18 years of age at first intercourse, p = 0.027) and a higher lifetime number of receptive oral sex partners (AOR: 9.14, 95% CI: 2.49–33.62 for those with >50 compared to ≤50 partners, p<0.001) were determinants of oral HPV among HIV-infected MSM. Conclusion Oral HPV infection among MSM attending an urban STI center is very frequent compared to the general population. Sexual behavior appears to be the major determinant of infection among the HIV-infected individuals.