ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Human papillomaviruses (HPV), a group of small, tumorigenic DNA viruses, are causally linked to cervical cancer and various other anogenital, oral, and oropharyngeal malignancies in both males and females. The purpose of this systematic review is to summarize the most recent data on the prevalence of oral HPV in healthy populations in Europe. METHODS: A systematic review of the European studies on the prevalence of oral HPV infections published from January 2011 to September 2017. RESULTS: The overall prevalence rates of oral HPV in healthy populations vary between 1.2% and 11.6%, with high-risk types of HPV (HR HPV) detected in 2.2% to 7.2% of individuals and HPV16 in 0.2% to 2.9% of individuals. The overall prevalence rate of oral HPV infections was considerably higher in men having sex with men as compared to heterosexual men and women. CONCLUSION: The prevalence rates of oral HPV infection in European populations are comparable to the results of the studies conducted in the USA and Asia. However, the European studies did not focus on the risk factors for oral HPV infection in healthy populations. A statistically significant relationship between oral sex, smoking, and HPV infection as observed in extensive studies from the USA was confirmed by a single European study.
