Human papillomavirus infection of the epididymis and ductus deferens: an evaluation by nested polymerase chain reaction.
BACKGROUND
Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) play an important role in the etiology of squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix. The possible role of the male urogenital tract as a reservoir of HPV infection is not fully understood. We inferred from our previous observation of HPV-31 in epididymal tissue in a case of chronic epididymitis that HPV might be commonly present in cases of epididymitis caused by sexually transmitted pathogens.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the presence of HPV in the epididymis and ductus deferens in nontuberculous epididymitis.


METHODS
Epididymal samples obtained from 17 patients and epididymal and ductus deferens samples from 5 patients surgically treated for nontuberculous epididymitis were analyzed by nested polymerase chain reaction for the presence of HPV DNA. In positive samples, the HPV type was determined by DNA sequencing.


METHODS
Tertiary-care academic hospital and national reference laboratory for papillomaviruses.


RESULTS
Low-risk HPV type 6 and high-risk HPV types 16, 33, 35, 55, and 73 were detected in 7 patients (31%). Neither koilocytes nor dysplastic changes were found in the epididymis and ductus deferens.


CONCLUSIONS
Low-risk and high-risk HPV types were detected in the epididymis and ductus deferens of patients with nontuberculous epididymitis. The infection was not accompanied by koilocytic atypia or dysplasia. Our findings support the hypothesis that the male urogenital tract serves as a reservoir of HPV infection.
Svec
Alexandr
A
Department of Pathology, Faculty Hospital Královské Vinohrady, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. svec@fnkv.cz
Mikysková
Iva
I
Hes
Ondrej
O
Tachezy
Ruth
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D004822:Epididymis / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D004823:Epididymitis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D014649:Vas Deferens / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*
D004279:DNA, Viral