High Prevalence of Human Papillomavirus on Anal and Oral Samples from Men and Women with External Anogenital Warts: The HERCOLES Study

• Published in: Acta dermato-venereologica Vol. 99; no. 6; pp. 557 - 563
• Main Authors: Lisboa, Carmen, Santo, Irene, Azevedo, Jacinta, Azevedo, Luis, Pista, Angela, Dias, Camila, Cunha, Maria Joaõ
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sweden Medical Journals Sweden 01.05.2019
• Subjects: Adult; anal canal; Anal Canal - virology; anogenital warts; Anus Diseases - epidemiology; Anus Diseases - virology; Condylomata Acuminata - epidemiology; Condylomata Acuminata - virology; DNA, Viral - analysis; epidemiology; Female; Genotype; Heterosexuality; Homosexuality, Male; HPV; Humans; Male; Mouth Diseases - epidemiology; Mouth Diseases - virology; Mouth Mucosa - virology; oral mucosa; Papillomaviridae - genetics; Penile Diseases - virology; Portugal - epidemiology; Prevalence; Vulvar Diseases - virology; Portugal; epidemiology; anal canal; oral mucosa; HPV; anogenital warts
• DOI: 10.2340/00015555-3136
• ISSN: 0001-5555

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is highly prevalent in the sexually active population. This study estimates the prevalence of HPV DNA in anal and oral samples from a cohort of men and women with incident anogenital warts. Anal and/or oral samples from 541 patients with anogenital warts were tested for 35 HPV genotypes using a PCR assay. The overall prevalence of anal HPV and oral HPV DNA was 59.9% (n = 305/509; 95% confidence interval (CI) 55.6-64.1%) and 14.5% (n = 78/538; 95% CI 11.8-17.7%), respectively. Among patients with perianal warts, the anal HPV DNA prevalence was 92.3% (95% CI 87.0-95.5%). Anal HPV DNA prevalence in patients with genital warts but no perianal warts was 55.7% (95% CI 50.6-60.7%). Both anal and oral HPV infections were more common in men who have sex with men than in heterosexual men (90.4% versus 38.5% and 20.8% versus 11.8%, respectively). Anal high risk-HPV infection was more common in women (58.8%) and in men who have sex with men (67.7%). We found that anogenital warts represent a clinical marker for both anal and oral HPV infections, including anal high risk-HPV infections, particularly among women and men who have sex with men.