Genital Human Papilloma Virus Infection in Males. A Clinico-Pathologic Study

Human papillomavirus infection of the epididymis and ductus deferens: an evaluation by nested polymerase chain reaction

CONTEXT

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) play an important role in the etiology of squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix. The possible role of the male urogenital tract as a reservoir of HPV infection is not fully understood. We inferred from our previous observation of HPV-31 in epididymal tissue in a case of chronic epididymitis that HPV might be commonly present in cases of epididymitis caused by sexually transmitted pathogens.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the presence of HPV in the epididymis and ductus deferens in nontuberculous epididymitis.

DESIGN

Epididymal samples obtained from 17 patients and epididymal and ductus deferens samples from 5 patients surgically treated for nontuberculous epididymitis were analyzed by nested polymerase chain reaction for the presence of HPV DNA. In positive samples, the HPV type was determined by DNA sequencing.

SETTING

Tertiary-care academic hospital and national reference laboratory for papillomaviruses.

RESULTS

Low-risk HPV type 6 and high-risk HPV types 16, 33, 35, 55, and 73 were detected in 7 patients (31%). Neither koilocytes nor dysplastic changes were found in the epididymis and ductus deferens.

CONCLUSION

Low-risk and high-risk HPV types were detected in the epididymis and ductus deferens of patients with nontuberculous epididymitis. The infection was not accompanied by koilocytic atypia or dysplasia. Our findings support the hypothesis that the male urogenital tract serves as a reservoir of HPV infection.

Detection of human papillomavirus infections in the male sexual partners of women attending an STD clinic in Bologna

A series of 65 male sexual partners of 65 women attending an STD clinic in Bologna, Italy for examination and treatment of genital human papillomavirus (HPV)-infections during 1990-1991, were examined using peniscopy and surgical biopsy, the latter being analysed by light microscopy, in situ hybridization (ISH) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for HPV DNA. A detailed medical and sexual history was recorded from all men. Of the 65 men, 17 (26.2%) gave a history of a previous STD. The male partners with previous genital condylomata (14, 21.5% of men) were significantly associated with the detection of HPV DNA in the current lesions; 21.4% (3 of 14) and 10.2% (5 of 51) in those with and without previously treated condyloma, respectively. On colposcopy, 63 (96.9%) men presented with an abnormal pattern, the vast majority (49 of 65, 75.4%) showing an acetowhite lesion, and only 12 (18.5%) lesions being classified as condyloma acuminatum. HPV DNA was found, however, in only 4 of 12 (33.3%) condylomas by ISH and PCR, and in 4 of 49 (8.2%) and 6 of 49 (12.2%) acetowhite lesions by ISH and PCR, respectively. In a total of 41 (63%) patients, the biopsy was classified as non-HPV on light microscopy. HPV DNA detection rate was significantly higher in all morphologically HPV-suggestive lesions, compared with the non-HPV where ISH was invariably negative. PCR, however, disclosed HPV DNA in 4 of 41 (9.8%) cases. PIN (I or II) was present in 6 of 65 (9.2%) men.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)