Alcohol consumption and persistent infection of high-risk human papillomavirus

• Published in: Epidemiology and infection Vol. 143; no. 7; pp. 1442 - 1450
• Main Authors: OH, H. Y., KIM, M. K., SEO, S., LEE, D. O., CHUNG, Y. K., LIM, M. C., KIM, J., LEE, C. W., PARK, S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.05.2015
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Alcohol; Alcohol Drinking - epidemiology; Alcoholic beverages; Beverages; Body mass index; Carcinogenesis; Cellular biology; Cervical cancer; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; Female; Human papillomavirus; Humans; Incidence; Infections; Logistic Models; Marital status; Medical screening; Middle Aged; Odds Ratio; Original Papers; Other viruses; Pap smear; Papillomaviridae - physiology; Papillomavirus Infections - epidemiology; Papillomavirus Infections - virology; Prospective Studies; Questionnaires; Regression analysis; Republic of Korea - epidemiology; Risk Factors; Smoking; Statistical analysis; Womens health; Republic of Korea; United States > US; Korea, Rep; co-factors; Alcohol; persistence; cervical carcinogenesis; human papillomavirus
• ISSN: 0950-2688; 1469-4409; 1469-4409
• DOI: 10.1017/S0950268814002258

Alcohol consumption is a possible co-factor of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) persistence, a major step in cervical carcinogenesis, but the association between alcohol and continuous HPV infection remains unclear. This prospective study identified the association between alcohol consumption and HR-HPV persistence. Overall, 9230 women who underwent screening during 2002–2011 at the National Cancer Center, Korea were analysed in multivariate logistic regression. Current drinkers [odds ratio (OR) 2·49, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·32–4·71] and drinkers for ⩾5 years (OR 2·33, 95% CI 1·17–4·63) had a higher risk of 2-year HR-HPV persistence (HPV positivity for 3 consecutive years) than non-drinkers and drinkers for <5 years, respectively (vs. HPV negativity for 3 consecutive years). A high drinking frequency (⩾twice/week) and a high beer intake (⩾3 glasses/occasion) had higher risks of 1-year (OR 1·80, 95% CI 1·01–3·36) HPV positivity for 2 consecutive years) and 2-year HR-HPV persistence (OR 3·62, 95% CI 1·35–9·75) than non-drinkers. Of the HPV-positive subjects enrolled, drinking habit (OR 2·68, 95% CI 1·10–6·51) and high consumption of beer or soju (⩾2 glasses/occasion; OR 2·90, 95% CI 1·06–7·98) increased the risk of 2-year consecutive or alternate HR-HPV positivity (vs. consecutive HPV negativity). These findings suggest that alcohol consumption might increase the risk of cervical HR-HPV persistence in Korean women.