1. Human Papillomavirus Viral Load and Transmission in Young, Recently Formed Heterosexual Couples.
- Author
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Wissing MD, Louvanto K, Comète E, Burchell AN, El-Zein M, Rodrigues A, Tellier PP, Coutlée F, and Franco EL
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Canada epidemiology, Capsid Proteins genetics, DNA, Viral genetics, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Genotype, Humans, Incidence, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Oncogene Proteins, Viral genetics, Papillomaviridae isolation & purification, Papillomavirus Infections virology, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Prevalence, Young Adult, Heterosexuality physiology, Papillomaviridae genetics, Papillomavirus Infections epidemiology, Papillomavirus Infections transmission, Sexual Partners, Viral Load
- Abstract
Background: We studied the association between human papillomavirus (HPV) viral load (VL) and HPV concordance., Methods: The HITCH cohort study included young, heterosexual, recently formed, sexually active couples. Questionnaires and genital samples were collected at 0 and 4 months. Samples were tested for HPV DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR; Linear Array). VLs of HPV6/11/16/18/31/42/51 were quantified using type-specific real-time PCR. Correlations between VL and type-specific HPV prevalence and incidence were evaluated using multilevel, mixed-effects linear/logistic regression models., Results: We included 492 couples. VLs were higher in penile than vaginal samples. VL at subsequent visits correlated significantly within men (r, 0.373), within women (r, 0.193), and within couples (r range: 0.303-0.328). Men with high VL had more type-specific persistent HPV infections (odds ratio [OR], 4.6 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 2.0-10.5]). High VL in men was associated with prevalent (OR, 5.3 [95% CI, 2.5-11.2]) and incident (OR, 6.7 [95% CI, 1.5-30.7]) type-specific HPV infections in their partner. Women's VL was associated with type-specific HPV prevalence in their partner at the same (OR, 5.9) and subsequent (OR, 4.7) visit., Conclusions: Persistent HPV infections have limited VL fluctuations. VL between sex partners are correlated and seem predictive of transmission episodes., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)
- Published
- 2019
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