Prevalence and concordance of high-risk papillomavirus infection in male sexual partners of women diagnosed with high grade cervical lesions.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the characteristics of high-risk papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection in men. The aims of this cross-sectional study were: (a) to investigate HR-HPV prevalence and genotype distribution in men, sexual partners of women presenting with high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (HG-CIN), according to epidemiological characteristics, and (b) to assess type-specific concordance between partners. METHODS: A total of 125 men were recruited within the first 6 months after HG-CIN diagnosis of their partner. Samples from the coronal sulcus, glans penis shaft, and scrotum were tested with linear array HPV genotyping assay (Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim, Germany). Type-specific concordance within 120 couples was studied. Epidemiological factors were evaluated by multivariate logistic regression analysis. SPSS 19 (IBM, Chicago, USA). RESULTS: The prevalence of HR-HPV infection in males was 50.4% (63/125). HPV16/53/52/51/66/31 were the most frequent genotypes (24/10.4/9.6/8.8/8/7.2%, respectively). Current smoking was associated with an increased risk for HR-HPV infection in men (38.2% (21/55) vs 60% (42/70), OR 2.4, p=0.025). Among 60 infected couples, 62% shared at least one genotype: 41.7% couples were concordantly HPV16 positive and 18.3% were HPV16 negative (kappa value: 0.21). The proportion of women with the same genotype as their male partner was higher than the proportion of men sharing the same genotype as their female partner: 58.7% (37/63) vs 30.8% (37/120), p<0.0001. CONCLUSIONS: Sexual partners of women with HG-CIN are a significant reservoir and vector of HPV infection, a fact that could contribute to making viral clearance more difficult to achieve in their partners after treatment of their HG-CIN lesions.

Utilidad de la detección de virus papiloma de alto riesgo en pacientes con citología atípica y de neoplasia intraepitelial de bajo grado de cuello uterino

Antecedentes: La citología cervical atípica y de bajo grado son hallazgos frecuentes pero no siempre relevantes. Objetivo: Estudio prospectivo que analiza la utilidad de la determinación del virus papiloma humano (VPH) de alto riesgo, en detectar patología intraepitelial de alto grado. Método: 94 pacientes con citología atípica y 116 pacientes con citología de NIE 1 fueron evaluadas con la prueba de VPH de alto riesgo. Resultados: En pacientes con citología atípica, la prueba positiva de VPH identificó a 23% con patología de alto grado versus solo en 4% en aquellas con prueba negativa (p=0,0124). En pacientes con citología de NIE 1, la prueba positiva de VPH identificó a 13% con patología de alto grado versus en 5,5% en aquellas con prueba negativa (p=0,6923). Conclusiones: La determinación de presencia viral de alto riesgo es un examen útil en pacientes con citología atípica pero no contribuye en pacientes con citología de NIE 1.

Background: Atypical and low grade cervical cytology are frequent findings, however, not always relevant. Aims: Prospective study, that analyzes the usefulness of determining high risk human papilloma virus test (HPV), in detecting high grade intra epithelial neoplasia in these patients. Method: 94 patients with atypical cytology and 116 patients with CIN 1 cytology were evaluated with the high risk HPV test. Results: In patients with atypical cytology, a positive HPV test identified 23% with high grade CIN versus only in 4% when the test was negative (p=0.0124). In patients with CIN 1 cytology, a positive test identified 13% with high grade CIN versus 5.5% in those with a negative test (p=0.6923). Conclusion: High risk HPV determination is a useful test in patients with atypical cytology, however non contributory in patients with low grade CIN cytology.