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This article describes the epidemiology of mucosal human papillomavirs (HPV) in adults and children, its mode of transmission and its associated diseases. Over 40 genotypes of HPV infect the epithelial lining of the anogenital tract and other mucosal areas of the body. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection globally, with high prevalences found in both females and males. The predominant route of transmission is via sexual contact, although mother-to-child transmission is also possible. HPV infection may exist asymptomatically or may induce the formation of benign or malignant tumours in the genital, oral or conjunctival mucosa. Although most infections clear spontaneously, those that persist result in substantial morbidity and invoke high costs associated with the treatment of clinically relevant lesions. Some 13–18 mucosal HPV types are considered to have high oncogenic potential. HPV is recognized unequivocally as the main causal factor for cervical cancer, and is further responsible for a substantial proportion of many other anogenital neoplasms and head and neck cancers. Infections with HPV types that have low oncogenic risk, such as HPV-6 and 11, are associated with benign lesions of the anogenital areas known as condylomata acuminata (genital warts), oral papillomas, conjunctival papillomas, as well as low-grade squamous intra-epithelial lesions of the cervix. Perinatally acquired HPV can also cause recurrent respiratory papillomatosis in infants and young children. The implementation of HPV vaccination therefore has the potential to prevent a substantial proportion of HPV-related disease in the future.

By surveying extensive epidemiological behavioural and sexual risk factors in a Korean twin cohort, risk factors for human papillomavirus (HPV) infection were investigated in South Korea. A total of 912 vaginal specimens were collected from the Healthy Twin Study, consisting of twins and their families. A range of epidemiological, behavioural, and sexual activity characteristics were evaluated using multivariate logistic regression analyses of family and twin relationships, adjusted to elucidate the risk factors for HPV infection. Of the various epidemiological characteristics, the possibility of extramarital affairs [odds ratio (OR) 2·48, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·02–6·02] significantly increased the prevalence of HPV infection. Our multivariate regression analysis indicated that oral contraceptive use (OR 40·64, 95% CI 0·99–1670·7) and history of sexually transmitted disease (OR 2·56, 95% CI 0·93–7·10) were strongly associated with an increase in HPV infection. On the other hand, more frequent vaginal douching (OR 0·32, 95% CI 0·13–0·77) significantly decreased the prevalence of HPV infection. Our results suggested that HPV infection is associated with both biological and behavioural factors. ; This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MEST) (No. 2011-0029826). ; OAIID:oai:osos.snu.ac.kr:snu2013-01/102/0000040632/15 ; SEQ:15 ; PERF_CD:SNU2013-01 ; EVAL_ITEM_CD:102 ; USER_ID:0000040632 ; ADJUST_YN:N ; EMP_ID:A077602 ; DEPT_CD:902 ; CITE_RATE:2.867 ; FILENAME:13.risk factors associated with human papillomavirus infection.pdf ; DEPT_NM:보건학과 ; EMAIL:jsung@snu.ac.kr ; SCOPUS_YN:Y ; CONFIRM:Y

Objective: Human papillomavirus (HPV) assays are likely to be used with increasing frequency in clinical management of women with abnormal Papanicolaou smears and in cervical cancer screening. Our objective was to simplify the method of collection of female genital tract specimens. The utility of vaginal dry swabs for HPV diagnosis was evaluated.

IntroductionCervical infection with high‐risk human papillomavirus (HRHPV) induces cervical cancer and is present in 14% of women in Europe. We assessed the prevalence and incidence of cervical HRHPV in a cohort of HIV‐positive women living in Belgium.MethodsProspective observational program of screening and follow up of HRHPV cervical infection performed by Hybrid Capture in 825 HIV‐positive women between 2002 and 2011. Women without normal cervix at baseline were excluded.ResultsThe final analysis included 652 women: median age 38 years, African origin (81%), median HIV follow‐up (66 months), median CD4 count (426 cells/μL) and 79% on antiretroviral therapy (cART). At baseline, HRHPV prevalence was 43% and decreased significantly as both age and CD4 cell count increased: highest prevalence (100%) in women <30 years and <200 CD4/μL and lowest (19%) in women >40 years and >500 CD4/μL (p<0.0001, multivariate analysis). The relative risk (RR) to carry HRHPV at baseline decreases proportionally by 11% for each 5 years‐age increase and by 11% for each 100 CD4 cells/μL rise (RR=0.89, 95% CI: 0.85‐0.93; p<0.0001, Poisson regression for both). During follow‐up, incidence rate of HRHPV was 13.4 per 100 women‐years.ConclusionsWe found a high HRHPV prevalence of 43% and an incidence rate of 13 per 100 women‐years in this cohort of HIV‐positive women living in Europe and on cART. Women under 40 years‐age had the highest prevalence even with CD4 count >350 cells/μL. The magnitude of HRHPV epidemiology should prompt to evaluate the clinical efficacy of vaccines against HPV in HIV‐infected women.

Abstract Background Women having multiple sex partners are reportedly at an increased risk of HPV infection. However, the prevalence and risk factors of HPV infection in female sex workers (FSWs) vary considerably across racial/ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic groups. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of HPV infection in FSWs in Northeast China. Methods A total of 309 FSWs identified and approached through a local police office and 1000 healthy subjects from a single factor undergoing annual gynecological examinations in Shenyang were recruited. A liquid-based ThinPrep Pap test and the Hybrid Capture II-based high-risk HPV DNA test, with or without a colposcopic examination, were performed on both FSWs and control subjects. Data on HPV infection and histological and cytological lesions of the cervix were obtained and analyzed. A questionnaire survey was administered to all 309 FSWs with their socio-demographic and behavioral information collected. The association of various socio-demographic and behavioral variables with HPV infection was assessed. Results HPV was significantly more prevalent in FSWs (61.90 %) than in healthy control subjects (21.00 %) ( P < 0.01), so were cervical lesions ( P < 0.01). HPV prevalence in our sample of FSWs fell in the upper range of reported values in FSWs across different countries, and was similar to that for FSWs in the southeast Chinese city of Huzhou but higher than that for FSWs in southwest China, Guangxi, as compared with data from other studies within China. HPV infection in FSWs was significantly associated with the age at first sexual intercourse (OR 0.699, 95 % CI 0.492–0.992) and post-menopause (OR 2.928, 95 % CI 1.099–7.800) ( P < 0.05). Conclusions FSWs are at a substantially high risk of HPV infection and cervical dysplasia development as compared with healthy control subjects in Shenyang, China. Age of first sexual intercourse and post-menopause are two independent risk factors for HPV infection in this special group of population. Intensified and coordinated efforts from government, public health sector, communities and families are needed to reduce the risk of HPV infection in this specific group of population.

Organized human papillomavirus vaccination (OHPV) in Japan was introduced in 2010 for girls aged 12–16 years who were born in 1994 or later. The rate of OHPV coverage was 70–80%. However, after suspension of the government vaccination recommendation, the coverage dramatically decreased. We aim to investigate the change in prevalence of HPV infection after the initiation of HPV vaccination. We recruited females aged 20–21 years attending public cervical cancer screening from 2014 to 2017 fiscal years (April 2014 to March 2018). Residual Pap test specimens were collected for HPV testing. We compared the prevalence of HPV type-specific infection between women registered in 2014 (born in 1993–1994, including the pre-OHPV generation) and registered in 2015–2017 (born in 1994–1997, the OHPV generation). We collected 2379 specimens. The vaccination coverage figures were 30.7%, 86.6%, 88.4% and 93.7% (p < 0.01) from 2014 to 2017, respectively. The prevalence of HPV16/18 infection significantly decreased from 1.3% in 2014 to 0% in 2017 (p = 0.02). The three most prevalent types were HPV52, 16 and 56 in 2014, and HPV52, 58 and 56 in 2015–2017, respectively. HPV16 and 33 infection rates decreased. On the other hand, the HPV58 infection rate was obviously increased after OHPV from 0.3% to 2.1%. Our study demonstrates that the prevalence of HPV16/18 infection dramatically decreased and the profile of type-specific HPV infection was changed after OHPV.

Cervarix® and Gardasil®, 2 human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines, have been approved and implemented globally in young adolescent women with the hope of reducing the incidence of cervical cancer several decades hence. This program is dependent on the concept of 'immunobridging': antibody titers generated in young adolescents that are the same or higher than generated in HPV-naive 16- to 26-year-old women, the population in which efficacy is proven. Likewise, realizing a decline in cervical cancer from young adolescent female vaccination depends on the duration of vaccine efficacy, and the population coverage reached. While we patiently wait for results from our young adolescent vaccination programs, newly released data indicates that the immunogenicity and efficacy of the vaccines for young adult women with prior HPV exposure is equal or superior to that seen for young adolescents. This same concept of immunobridging supported by limited efficacy data offers the potential to reduce cervical cancer precursors within just a few years in our young sexually active adult women, a population secondary to our young adolescents. The HPV vaccines are not therapeutic. Neither vaccine will inhibit an already HPV-infected basal epithelial cell which continues to transform differentiated epithelial layers into cervical dysplasias. There is a clinical hope, though, already supported by early data, that the vaccines are capable of neutralizing HPV virions in host tissues from both auto-inoculated infections and infections in other organs than the cervix, thereby making it possible for these vaccines to prevent less common HPV-associated cancers of the penis, vagina, vulva, anus, oral cavity and oro-pharynx. Both vaccines have been shown to be generally safe in the phase II and phase III randomized controlled trials over 3–6.4 years. Post-marketing surveillance of Cervarix and Gardasil continues to show that they are safe for most women despite rarely occurring serious events.

IntroductionHuman papillomavirus (HPV) is responsible for 85% of anal cancers. Recently, anal cancer incidence has been increasing, particularly in men who have sex with men (MSM). Cytology may be a useful tool for the detection of anal precancerous lesions. We assessed the prevalence and determinants of anal HPV infection and cytologic abnormalities among HIV‐infected and ‐uninfected MSM.Materials and MethodsMSM ≥18‐year‐old attending an STI clinic in Rome (Italy) were enrolled. Anal cytologic samples were collected in PreservCyt (Hologic) using a Dacron swab. The Linear Array HPV Genotyping Test (Roche Diagnostics) was used for the detection and genotyping of 37 mucosal HPV types. Liquid‐based cytological slides were obtained using a ThinPrep2000 processor (Hologic). The morphology of the anal pap‐test was classified following the Bethesda 2001 guidelines.ResultsWe enrolled 180 HIV‐infected (median age 41 years, IQR 33–47) and 438 HIV‐uninfected MSM (median age 32 years, IQR: 27–39). Most of the individuals were Caucasian (92.2% and 97.0%, respectively). HPV prevalence, both overall (93.3% vs 72.4%, p<.001) and by high‐risk (HR) HPV types (80.5% vs 56.0%, p<.001), was significantly higher among HIV‐infected than HIV‐uninfected individuals. HPV‐multiple infections were evidenced in 48.2% of the HIV‐uninfected and 76.1% of the HIV‐infected MSM (p<.001). HPV16 was the most prevalent genotype in both groups (23.3% in HIV‐positive and 17.6% in HIV‐negative MSM). HPV6 and 84 were the most frequent low‐risk types in both cohorts. Anal cytologic abnormalities were found in a significantly higher proportion of HIV‐infected MSM (46.1% vs 27.9%, p<.001). H‐SILs (high‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesions) were exclusively observed among the HIV‐infected individuals, although at a low prevalence (1.2%).ConclusionsA high prevalence of anal HPV infection and cytologic abnormalities was evidenced in both populations. Nonetheless, HIV‐infected MSM showed a significantly higher rate of HPV infection and abnormal cytology, confirming that HIV‐1 infection poses a significant risk for anal HPV infection as well as for anal cellular abnormalities. Screening for anal cancer, which is currently the most frequent non‐AIDS‐defining cancer in HIV‐positive MSM, should be considered for this population. Moreover, vaccination strategies for the prevention of HPV infection should be taken into account.

Abstract
Kidney transplant recipients have higher incidence of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related malignancies, but studies on the natural history of HPV infection are insufficient, especially regarding in male recipients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the course of high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) infection after kidney allograft transplantation in male recipients: to estimate frequency and activity of HR-HPV infection under immune system suppression. Twenty male renal recipients (age 20 - 68) were enrolled in this investigation and examined in dynamics. Peripheral EDTA-blood samples and urine samples were collected from each patient 2 weeks, 6 months and 12 months after transplantation. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with consensus primers was used for initial detection of high range HPV types, a commercial qPCR kit for detection of HR-HPV load in urine samples and ELISA for detection of serum IgG class antibodies to HR-HPV L1-capsid protein. Overall, combining molecular (HR-HPV genomic sequences detected by real-time PCR) and serological studies (IgG class antibodies to HR-HPV L1-capsids' protein), high frequency of HRHPV infection among male kidney transplant recipients (9/20; 45%) was showed. However, the majority of HR-HPV positive recipients (7/9; 78%) showed signs of infection clearance. It means that, despite the applied immune suppressive therapy, the host's immune system is capable of dealing with HR-HPV infection up to the 12th month after transplantation. However, the sample size should be increased to enable through statistical analysis before final conclusions are made.