Human Papilloma Virus Infection in Men: A Specific Human Virome or a Specific Pathology?

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Dermatology
• Infectious Diseases
• Oncology

Background:

• Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections in men are under-researched.
• There is an increasing incidence of HPV-related cancers in men.
• Understanding clinical and molecular characteristics is crucial for disease transmission and prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate clinical and molecular characteristics of anogenital HPV infections in men.
• To determine genotype prevalence, diagnostic methods, and lesion variability.
• To assess associations between clinical features and HPV genotypes.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 70 men (aged 18-65) with anogenital HPV infection.
• Lesion characterization by morphology and location.
• HPV DNA analysis using INNO-LiPA, Hybrid Capture II, and PCR; multivariate statistical analyses.

Main Results:

• Verrucous (52.86%) and papular (30%) lesions were most common, predominantly on the penis radix (34.29%).
• INNO-LiPA detected HPV DNA in 88.57% of cases; low-risk HPV6 dominated single infections (68.57%), high-risk genotypes were 20%.
• Heterogeneity in lesion morphology, localization, and genotype distribution observed; HR HPV detected in benign lesions.

Conclusions:

• Anogenital HPV infections in men display significant heterogeneity.
• High-risk HPV genotypes in benign lesions suggest potential for disease progression.
• INNO-LiPA showed superior diagnostic accuracy, emphasizing the need for standardized male HPV diagnostics.