Prevalence and risk factors for oral human papillomavirus infection in 129 women screened for cervical HPV infection

Background: Oncogenic human papillomaviruses (HPV) are known to be associated with carcinomas of the uterine cervix. Furthermore, current studies have shown that HPV-infection is also associated with a subtype of oropharyngeal cancers. In general, a sexual transmission of the viruses has been shown by numerous studies in the genital lesions. However, there are unknown factors regarding the prevalence and transmission of HPV in the oropharynx. The aim of this study was to evaluate HPV prevalence in the oropharynx in female participants with and without genital HPV infection. In addition, we analyzed risk factors for an oropharyngeal colonization with HPV in their sexual partners, too. Methods: 129 Female participants were tested for presence of HPV-DNA by oral lavage, brush cytology of the tonsils and of the cervix. In addition, 15 male partners of these patients were included in the study. HPV-DNA was detected by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) amplification. For HPV-genotyping, PCR products were hybridized with type-specific digoxigenin-labeled oligonucleotide probes and discriminated into 14 high risk (HR) and 6 low risk (LR)-HPV types. The 129 female and 15 male participants were interviewed by a standardized questionnaire for socioeconomic details, drinking, smoking and sexual behaviours. Results: 59 (45.7%) Female participants were negative for a genital HPV-infection. Of these women, 3 (5.1%) showed a positive HPV-PCR result (HR and LR) in the oropharynx. 70 (54.3%) Female participants were positive for a genital HPV infection. In this group, 4 (5.7%) had a positive HPV-detection (HR and LR) in the oral cavity and oropharynx. Female participants with cervical HPV-infection had no higher risk for HPV-detection in the oropharynx (not significant). The analysis of sexual risk factors revealed no specific risk factor for an oral HPV-infection. Conclusion: A correlation between cervical and oral colonization by HPV could not be demonstrated in our small cohort. Our limited data suggest that sexual transmission of HPV from the cervix uteri to the oropharynx is a rare and unlikely event. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved