HPV detection in children prior to sexual debut

• Published in: International journal of cancer Vol. 73; no. 5; pp. 621 - 624
• Main Authors: Koch, Anders, Hansen, Susanne V., Nielsen, Nete M., Palefsky, Joel, Melbye, Mads
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 27.11.1997; Wiley-Liss
• Subjects: Adolescent; Anal Canal - virology; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Denmark - epidemiology; DNA, Viral - analysis; Female; Genital Diseases, Female - diagnosis; Genital Diseases, Female - epidemiology; Genital Diseases, Female - virology; Genital Diseases, Male - diagnosis; Genital Diseases, Male - epidemiology; Genital Diseases, Male - virology; Human viral diseases; Humans; Immunoblotting; Infant; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Mouth Mucosa - virology; Papillomaviridae - genetics; Papillomaviridae - isolation & purification; Papillomavirus Infections - diagnosis; Papillomavirus Infections - epidemiology; Papillomavirus Infections - virology; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Prevalence; Random Allocation; Tumor Virus Infections - diagnosis; Tumor Virus Infections - epidemiology; Tumor Virus Infections - virology; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the digestive system; Denmark; Europe; Human; Prevalence; Stomatology; Papovaviridae; Epidemiology; Infection; Papillomavirus; Virus; Oral cavity; Human papillomavirus; Anus; Viral disease; Adolescent; Digestive diseases; Intestinal disease; Oral cavity disease; Child; Anorectal disease; Public health
• ISSN: 0020-7136; 1097-0215
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0215(19971127)73:5<621::AID-IJC1>3.0.CO;2-Z

Knowledge of the epidemiology of infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) in childhood is important, since HPV infection early in life could represent a risk factor for later development of anogenital cancer. A random sample of Danish children aged 0 to 17 years was tested for the presence of HPV in the anal region and the oral cavity by the polymerase chain reaction using a consensus HPV L1 primer. Only 4 of 249 anal beta‐globin‐positive samples and one of 392 oral beta‐globin‐positive samples were HPV‐positive. All HPV‐positive samples were of unknown types. We conclude that the prevalence of anogenital HPV infection in childhood is very low indeed and that the oral cavity does not seem to act as a reservoir for HPV infection in childhood. This indicates that anogenital types of HPV are not transmitted to any measureable degree by non‐sexual routes and further supports the notion that HPV infection takes place mainly later in life. Int. J. Cancer73:621–624, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.