Oral Human Papillomavirus Infection in Children during the First 6 Years of Life, Finland

• Published in: Emerging infectious diseases Vol. 27; no. 3; pp. 759 - 766
• Main Authors: Syrjänen, Stina, Rintala, Marjut, Sarkola, Marja, Willberg, Jaana, Rautava, Jaana, Koskimaa, Hanna, Paaso, Anna, Syrjänen, Kari, Grénman, Seija, Louvanto, Karolina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases 01.03.2021; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Subjects: Age; Antigens; children; Children & youth; Communicable diseases in children; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; Enrollments; Families & family life; Genetic aspects; Genotype & phenotype; Genotypes; Hospitals; HPV; Human papillomavirus; Infections; Mothers; Mouth diseases; Newborn babies; Offspring; Oral Human Papillomavirus Infection in Children during the First 6 Years of Life, Finland; oral infection; Papillomavirus infections; Parents & parenting; Pediatric research; Polymerase chain reaction; Risk factors; sexually transmitted infections; Statistics; viruses; Warts; Finland; viruses; sexually transmitted infections; children; Finland; human papillomavirus; oral cavity; oral infection; HPV
• ISSN: 1080-6040; 1080-6059
• DOI: 10.3201/eid2703.202721

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are found in children, but transmission modes and outcomes are incompletely understood. We evaluated oral samples from 331 children in Finland who participated in the Finnish Family HPV Study from birth during 9 follow-up visits (mean time 51.9 months). We tested samples for 24 HPV genotypes. Oral HPV prevalence for children varied from 8.7% (at a 36-month visit) to 22.8% (at birth), and 18 HPV genotypes were identified. HPV16 was the most prevalent type to persist, followed by HPV18, HPV33, and HPV6. Persistent, oral, high-risk HPV infection for children was associated with oral HPV carriage of the mother at birth and seroconversion of the mother to high-risk HPV during follow-up (odds ratio 1.60-1.92, 95% CI 1.02-2.74). Children acquire their first oral HPV infection at an early age. The HPV status of the mother has a major impact on the outcome of oral HPV persistence for her offspring.