Prevalence of human papillomaviruses in the healthy oral mucosa of women with high-grade squamous intra-epithelial lesion and of their partners as compared to healthy controls

Oral-genital HPV infection transmission, concordance of HPV genotypes and genital lesions among spouses/ partners of patients diagnosed with HPV-related head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC): a scoping review

BACKGROUND

There is an increase in number of Human Papillomavirus related head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HPV-related HNSCC) High risk HPV(HR-HPV) types can be cleared by an infected person, however, some can persist and develop HN cancer. There is a broad knowledge gap regarding HPV and related cancers.

MAIN TEXT

The aim of this review is to assess existing published knowledge on oral-genital HPV transmission, concordance of HPV genotypes and risk of oral or/and genital lesions among spouses/partners of patients diagnosed with HPV-related HNSCC, identify gaps in the current research and highlight areas that requires further inquiry.

METHOD

Database like Pub med, Google Scholar, Scopus, Puplon, Wiley online library were used for search strategy. Published papers on transmission, concordance of HPV genotypes and genital lesions among spouses/partners of patients diagnosed with HPV-related HNSCC were included. Papers published from January1,2000 to October 31, 2022 were included. The published papers included are 8 Case reports, 2 cross-sectional studies, 3 Cohort studies and 2 systematic reviews.

RESULTS

A total of 2125 citations were retrieved from the five sources. 15papers were included. Case reports reported concurrent HPV-related oropharyngeal, tonsillar, unspecified HNSCC, laryngeal and nasopharyngeal carcinoma among couples. The two cross-sectional studies were done. Almost all the tumors taken from patients with HPV-related oropharyngeal carcinoma (HPV-related OPC) and their spouses were positive for identical HPV 16 type. The three cohort studies showed an increase risk of upper aero-digestive tract cancer among male spouses of females with cervical cancer. Two systematic reviews reviewed literature studies which evaluated concurrent cases of HPV-related Oropharyngeal cancers. Examination of these papers showed that the majority of the studies suggested that there is HPV transmission, concordance and risk of HNSCC cancer among spouses with HPV-related oral-genital cancer. No studies evaluated the risk of developing genital cancer in spouses of patients with HNSCC.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this review highlighted big need of further research on oral-genital HPV infection among spouses of patients diagnosed with HPV-related HNSCC. Studies are needed to evaluate the risk of getting genital and upper aero-digestive tract HPV-related cancer among spouses with HPV-related HNC.

Low Rates of Dual-Site and Concordant Oral-Cervical Human Papillomavirus Infections and Cancers: A Systematic Review

Objective

The oral-cervical human papillomavirus (HPV) infection/cancer relationship is not well established. Oral-cervical HPV studies were reviewed to assess dual-site occurrence, HPV type concordance, and study quality/deficiencies.

Methods

PubMed, EMBASE, Ovid Medline, and Web of Science were searched between 1/1/1990 and 8/10/2021 for studies investigating HPV infections/cancers and type concordance between the oral cavity/oropharynx and cervix. Dual-site and concordant HPV infection rates were summarized as percentages; cancer diagnoses studies were summarized using standardized incidence ratios (SIR). The Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies (QATQS) evaluated study methodology.

Results

One hundred fourteen papers were identified. Most were cross-sectional (n=79, 69%), involved synchronous dual-site HPV testing (n=80, 70%), did not report HPV type concordance (n=62, 54%), and achieved moderate methodological QATQS ratings (n=81, 71%). The overall dual-site infection rate averaged 16%; the HPV type concordance rate averaged 41%, among those dually-infected women. Most HPV-related cancer diagnoses studies reported increased secondary cancer risk, with SIRs generally ranging from 1.4 to 29.4 for secondary cervical cancer after primary oral cancer and from 1.4 to 6.3 for secondary oral cancer after primary cervical cancer.

Conclusion/Impact

Oral-cervical HPV infections/cancers remain understudied. Future research should use stronger methodologies and HPV concordance analyses to better understand oral-cervical HPV epidemiology.

Prevalence of oral HPV infection in unvaccinated young adults in Brazil

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to report the national prevalence of oral HPV infection among unvaccinated women and men aged 16-25 years who utilized the public primary care services.

METHODS

POP-Brazil is a cross-sectional, multicentric, nationwide survey conducted between September 2016 and November 2017. Recruitment was based in 119 public primary care practices in 26 state capitals and the Federal District of Brazil. Trained health professionals conducted face-to-face interviews. Oral samples were collected with mouthwash and gargle cycles. Genotyping was performed using the Roche PCR-based linear array genotyping test. Sampling weights by sex and age were applied.

RESULTS

Valid oral HPV samples were collected from 5071 (96.88%) participants; 4005 women and 1066 men. Mean participant age was 21.63 years. Overall HPV prevalence was 1.69% (n = 73, 95% CI 1.05-2.32). Thirty individuals presented at least one high-risk HPV type [0.57% (95% CI, 0.29-0.85)]. There were no associations between age, sex, sociodemographic characteristics, drug use or sexual behavior and oral HPV prevalence.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of oral HPV infection in Brazilian teenagers and young adults is low, with no sociodemographic or behavioral correlates.

Prevalence and concordance of oral and genital HPV in women positive for cervical HPV infection and in their sexual stable partners: An Italian screening study

OBJECTIVES

This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and type of oral HPV-infection in women with a cervical HPV-lesion and in the oral and genital mucosa of their male partners.

METHODS

The study group comprised 44 sexually-active women, 20-45 years with abnormal PAP smear, not more than 6 months prior to referral together with the male partners cohabiting in stable partnerships. A detailed questionnaire was administered concerning the HPV-related risk factors. Oral swabs, oral rinses, cervical swabs and urine samples were collected. HPV DNA was detected using two different polymerase chain reactions (PCRs): MY09-11 and FAP59-64. Positive samples were genotyped by Sanger sequencing and the INNO-LiPA HPV Genotyping Extra II probe assay. The association with risk factors was assessed by fitting a generalized model, using the General Linear Model function in the R-software; correlations were calculated between all data.

RESULTS

HPV was detected in 84% of Cervical Samples, in 24.3% of oral samples and in one urine sample. Only 27% of the HPV-positive results were identical with both PCR DNA assays. 8 male had oral HPV-positive samples different from women cervical samples. In one couple the urine-male sample had the same HPV present in the female-cervical sample. A significant association resulted between women/oral sex practices and men/n. of partners.

CONCLUSIONS

This study reports that women (20.4%) with a diagnosis of cervical-HPV and their male partners (30,7%) are at high risk for subclinical oral HPV infection.

The epidemiology of oral human papillomavirus infection in healthy populations: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a potentially oncogenic sexually transmitted infection. As the incidence of oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) caused by oral HPV infections is rising, further investigation into the natural history of such infections is needed. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to synthesize data on the prevalence, incidence, clearance, and persistence of oral HPV infections in healthy individuals. A systematic review of literature published between January 1995 and August 2017 was conducted using Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. Meta-analysis of prevalence and incidence data was conducted. Clearance and persistence data were extracted. Sixty-six studies met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis demonstrated an overall prevalence of 7.7% for all types of HPV and 1.4% for high-risk HPV16. The overall incidence was 4.38 cases per 1000 person-months for all HPV types and 0.92 cases per 1000 person-months for HPV16. This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrated that oral HPV infection has a lower prevalence and incidence than cervicogenital HPV infection in healthy individuals. Nonetheless, oral HPV is still an important concern, given its oncogenicity and the rising incidence of oropharyngeal cancer. Consistency of methodology will allow for better future comparisons, particularly of infection clearance and persistence.

Prevalence and genotypes of human papillomavirus in saliva and tumor samples of head and neck cancer patients in Hungary

In addition to traditional risk factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption and betel nut use, human papillomavirus (HPV) infection also plays a role in the development of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs). Although among European countries the highest incidence and mortality rates of head and neck cancer types were recorded in Hungary, data regarding HPV prevalence in HNSCCs is scarce. We collected biopsy and saliva samples from patients diagnosed with HNSCC or oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) and tested them for the presence of HPV using the PCR consensus primer set MY09/11 and the GP5+/6+ primer pair. HPV genotypes were assessed by sequencing of the amplified PCR fragments. Oral mucosa and saliva samples from tumor- and OPMD-free individuals were also analysed. HPV was detected in 11 out of 60 HNSCC samples (18%). All of the HPV positive tumors carried HPV type 16. 5 out of the 57 saliva samples collected from HNSCC patients was HPV positive (8.8%); among them, in addition to HPV16, HPV13 was also detected. Tumors located to the oropharynx had the highest HPV positivity rate with 50% (7 out of 14), which was significantly higher than the HPV prevalence in oral mucosa samples collected from controls (0 out of 20; p > 0.001) or in OPMD biopsies (0 out of 21, p > 0.001). 2 out of 57 control saliva samples (3.5%, subtype HPV13 and 11) and 3 out of 39 saliva samples from OPMD patients (7.7%, subtype HPV18, 81 and 10) were HPV positive. Our data suggested that HPV16 infection may contribute, in concert with cigarette smoking, to the development of a subset of head and neck cancers in Hungary. HPV16 infection per se does not account, however, for the high HNSCC incidence rate recorded in this country.

High prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) in oral mucosal lesions of patients at the Ambulatory of Oral Diagnosis of the Federal University of Sergipe, Northeastern Brazil

The role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in oral carcinogenesis is still controversial as detection rates of the virus in oral cavity reported in the literature varies greatly.

Is there an increased risk of cancer among spouses of patients with an HPV-related cancer: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

High-risk human papillomaviruses (HR-HPV) are the cause of most ano-genital cancers and a fast growing subset of oropharyngeal cancer. As these malignancies occur as a result of an HPV- infection transmitted through intimate contact, many patients with HPV- induced cancer and their partners are concerned about HPV-transmission and the potential partners' cancer risk. Few studies have addressed this issue and whether the HPV-related cancer risk of partners of patients with HPV-related cancers is comparable to or greater than that of the general population.

METHODS

We performed a systematic review of the published literature addressing this issue. Out of 1055 references screened, 53 articles were found eligible for inclusion.

RESULTS

Regarding the issue of coincidence of HPV-induced oropharyngeal and/or anogenital cancers in couples, 13 case-reports or case-series were reported and 9 larger studies based on population-registries. Four of these registry studies showed an increased risk of cervical cancer in the partner while four did not. Among the four positive studies, odds ratios for the development of HPV-related cancer among spouses were between 2.6 and 6.7. One study showed an increased risk of tongue or tonsil cancer among husbands of women with cervical dysplasia or cancer. Overall the absolute risk increase in all these studies was small, on the order of 1-3%, although potentially underestimated. Indeed, all these studies have assessed partner's cancer risk at only one anatomical site whereas HPV- related malignancies can affect different locations.

CONCLUSION

This systematic review suggests a small trend of increase risk in HPV-associated cancers among spouses of patients with HPV-related cancer.

Higher prevalence and gene amplification of HPV16 in oropharynx as compared to oral cavity

Objective

The objective of this study was to clarify differences regarding HPV16 infection and gene amplification between the oral cavity and oropharynx in healthy individuals.

Material and Methods

The subjects were 94 healthy asymptomatic individuals (41 males, 53 females; mean age 58.6 years, range 16-97 years) who visited the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Reconstructive Surgery of the Hiroshima University Hospital from 2014 to 2015. Oral epithelial cells were collected from oral rinse and pharynx gargle samples and placed in saline. The human endogenous retrovirus gene ERV3-1 was used as a reference to estimate the number of human cells in each sample. DNA samples were extracted from approximately 10,000 human cells and tested for HPV16 DNA by PCR using a type-specific primer. Similarly, we analyzed the HPV16 viral copy number in HPV16-positive cases using real-time PCR to examine genomic amplification.

Results

The percentage of HPV16-positive cases was higher in the gargle (28.7%) as compared to the rinse (16.0%) samples. In the oral rinse samples, males (26.8%) showed a significantly higher rate of HPV16 than females (7.5%) (P=0.021). Importantly, in older subjects (aged 60-89 years), gargle samples showed a significantly higher rate of HPV16 (33.3%) than oral rinse samples (13.7%) (P=0.034). The average number of viral copies was approximately 8 times higher in the gargle than in the oral rinse samples (0.16±0.27 vs. 1.35±1.26 copy numbers per cell), a significant difference (P<0.001).

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that the oropharynx is more susceptible to HPV16 infection as compared to the oral cavity, while HPV16 gene amplification is also more commonly found in the oropharynx.

Risk Factors for Oral Human Papillomavirus Infection in Healthy Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is associated with oral cancer development. However, few epidemiologic investigations have focused on oral HPV prevalence in healthy individuals. The objective of this study was to provide updated information regarding oral HPV prevalence in patients without oral cancer worldwide.

METHODS

We systematically reviewed 29 studies reporting the prevalence of oral HPV infection that included 22,756 subjects (10,124 males, 12,623 females, and nine unknown gender; age range 2 - 89 years) and were published from January 2012 to June 2015.

RESULTS

The prevalence of overall HPV, low-risk type HPV, high-risk type HPV, and HPV16 in the reported cases was 5.5%, 2.2%, 2.7%, and 1.0%, respectively. The prevalence of overall HPV was considerably higher in males who had sex with males (12.2%) as compared to heterosexual males (4.7%) and females (2.9%). A meta-analysis was performed to elucidate significant risk factors for oral HPV infection, which revealed a significant statistical association for oral sex and smoking with oral HPV infection (odds ratio (OR): 1.90, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.51 - 2.39, P < 0.0001; OR: 2.13, 95% CI: 1.32 - 3.43, P = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that sexual behavior and smoking are importantly related to oral HPV infection in healthy individuals.