Prevalence of the human papillomavirus (HPV) expression of the inner prepuce in asymptomatic boys and men.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of high-risk (HR) and low-risk (LR) human papillomavirus (HPV) in prepuces of boys and men without any HPV related lesions. Patients and methods: Between 2009 and 2011, a total collective of 250 boys and men were investigated in this prospective study. The samples were subdivided into 3 groups regarding their age, consisting of 125 (50 %) children (0–10 years), 38 (15.2 %) adolescents (11–20 years) and 87 (34.8 %) adults (>20 years). In situ hybridization (ISH) was performed to detect HR and LR virus types within the epithelium, followed by microscopic interpretation and determination between episomal and integrative signal pattern. Results: Our results revealed high levels of HPV concentration (HR and LR) in all age groups: HR versus LR positivity was seen in 45.5 versus 35 % (children), 60.6 versus 63.6 % (adolescents) and 58.3 versus 48.6 % (adults). The topmost rate of HR (59.8 %)- and LR (50.6 %)-positive probes was found in the group with high estimated sexual activity (>14 years). Conclusion: Concerning the high prevalence of male HPV infection even in children, indicating non-sexual transmission pathways, inclusion of boys in the vaccination program seems to be required reducing their burden of HPV related disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]