DETECTION OF HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS DNA IN THE UROGENITAL TRACTS OF MEN WITH ANOGENITAL WARTS

Increasing evidence suggests that human papillomavirus (HPV) infection of the female anogenital tract is multifocal. Less is known of the distribution of HPVs in men. To investigate this, a prospective study was conducted of 116 men consecutively attending a clinic for ablative treatment of anogenital warts. Wart tissue, urethral swabs, and urine were obtained from each patient. HPV DNA was extracted from the specimens and amplified using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, and 33 were identified using Southern blotting of the PCR product, followed by hybridization. HPV DNA was detected in 112 (96.6%) of 116 wart specimens and there was urethral infection with HPV in 26 (22.4%) of the men. Eleven (61.1%) of 18 urethral specimens taken with a loop and 22 (20.0%) of 116 urethral specimens taken using a cotton-tipped swab contained HPV DNA. One (6.3%) of 16 urine samples tested contained HPV DNA. HPV types 6 and 11 were found in the urethra most commonly when warts were seen near the urinary meatus, although HPV occurred in the urethras of men without clinically apparent meatal warts. The proportion of urethral samples with HPV DNA, including HPV types 16,18,31, and 33, was independent of the location of visible warts at the time of sampling.