Anal and Oral Human Papillomavirus Infection in Men Who Have Sex with Men: Implications for Risk-Targeted Vaccination

Abstract

Aim: Men who have sex with men (MSM) harbor a significant burden of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related diseases that could be prevented by vaccination. Materials & methods: Prevalence of HPVs targeted by the quadrivalent (4vHPV) and nonavalent vaccines (9vHPV) was assessed in anal (n = 443) and oral (n = 193) specimens of immunocompetent, sexually active MSM, using the Linear Array. Results: Of the anal samples, 34.1 and 46.0% were positive for at least one genotype of those covered by the 4vHPV and 9vHPV, respectively. At least one of the HPVs targeted by the 9vHPV was detected in 5.7% of the oral specimens. Conclusion: The majority of the subjects were not currently infected by HPV-16 and other vaccine-preventable HPVs. Universal HPV vaccination should be strongly promoted in order to achieve protection for all risk groups. In the meanwhile, vaccination should be offered to sexually active adult MSM attendees of sexually transmitted infection centers, although its potential benefit for these subjects needs to be further investigated.

Keywords::

• anal infection
• HPV
• HPV vaccine
• human papillomavirus
• men who have sex with men
• MSM
• nonavalent vaccine
• oral infection
• quadrivalent vaccine

Author contributions

MG Donà and M Giuliani designed the work; MG Donà, F Rollo, A Latini, B Pichi, R Pellini, A Giglio, E Giuliani and A Cristaudo acquired and interpreted the data for the work; MG Donà and M Giuliani analyzed the data and drafted the manuscript; all the authors revised the manuscript and approved the final version.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by the Italian Ministry of Health (‘5 × 1000’ and GR-2011-02349732 to MG Donà). M Benevolo has received nonfinancial support from Roche Diagnostics and Hologic SrL and grants and nonfinancial support from Arrow Diagnostics and Becton and Dickinson for work that is not connected with the current study. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

All procedures were performed following the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki. In addition, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved. The SAIN and OHMAR studies were cleared by the institutional ethics committee IFO Section-Fondazione Bietti (SAIN: Prot. CE/510/11; OHMAR: Prot. CE/564/11).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Italian Ministry of Health (‘5 × 1000’ and GR-2011-02349732 to MG Donà). M Benevolo has received nonfinancial support from Roche Diagnostics and Hologic SrL and grants and nonfinancial support from Arrow Diagnostics and Becton and Dickinson for work that is not connected with the current study. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.