[Genital herpes simplex virus infection among men screened for genital papillomavirus]

Our aim was to assess the frequency of herpetic genital infection (HSV) among men attending a human papillomavirus (HPV) screening centre. Clinical screening of a herpetic lesion was completed with biological detection of HSV by cell culture and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We also evaluated the role of the male viral factor on the female partners.

We performed a genital examination by colposcopy of 135 men whose female partners presented an HPV genital infection. The HPV lesions detected underwent biopsy by Southern blot viral analysis. The lesions which clinically appeared to be caused by HSV were removed for HSV detection and typing by cell culture and by PCR. Sperm was collected for viral detection by cell culture and PCR was collected for viral detection by cell culture and PCR from patients presenting a herpetic type urethral symptomatology.

Peniscopy detected HPV lesions in 46 p. 100 of the men, in 88 p. 100 of cases in the balano-preputial zone and in 82 p. 100 of cases their morphology was exophytic. The other areas were in 14.5 p. 100 of cases urethral and 9 p. 100 anal. We detected a dysplasic lesion in 6 p. 100 of cases. In 74 p. 100 of cases molecular hybridization by Southern detected 6/11/42 type HPV and in 6.4 p. 100 of cases HPV 16. Clinical examination revealed the presence of genital herpetic infection in 15.5 p. 100 of cases, of these 76 p. 100 were preputial and 24 p. 100 meato-urethral. PCR detected HSV-2 in 88 p. 100 of the preputial lesions and in 86 p. 100 of the spermatic ejaculates from the meato-urethral lesions. The chi 2 test showed that no link exists between a herpetic genital infection and the presence of an HPV lesion, but that the risk is greater (OR = 2.15; IC 95 p. 100 = 0.84-5.49). We also observed that 50 p. 100 of the female partners of men with both HPV+HSV infections had high grade cervical lesions.

This study shows that clinical examination in an HPV screening centre enabled detection of clinical HSV in 15.5 p. 100 of cases as opposed to 17 p. 100 biologically. Thus the good clinical-virological correlation shows that clinical criteria remain the principal elements for detecting viral genital infections, it therefore appears advantageous to only use the new HSV identification techniques for targeted detection. Also, herpetic genital infection is independent of human papillomavirus infection. When screening for HPV, herpetic genital infection should be taken into account as we have observed that the female partners of men with both HPV + HSV are at greater risk of presenting high grade cervical lesions.