Low prevalence of HPV infection and its natural history in normal oral mucosa among volunteers on Miyako Island, Japan.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in normal oral mucosa, and to observe the natural history in the oral cavity in oral swab samples collected from healthy volunteers on Miyako Island, Okinawa, Japan.


METHODS
The prevalence of HPV infection in oral buccal mucosa cell scrapes collected between 2000 and 2002 from a cohort of 668 healthy volunteers was determined. HPV DNA was detected by consensus polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using MY09/MY11 primers followed by direct cycle sequencing. Just over 2 years later the HPV-positive participants were reevaluated.


RESULTS
Of the 668 subjects, 662 samples were analyzed for HPV. HPV DNA was detected in 4 (0.6%) specimens. HPV type 16 (HPV16), HPV53, and HPV71, mucosal types, and HPV12, a cutaneous type, were all identified by direct sequencing. In the follow-up survey, the HPV71- and HPV12-positive participants again tested positive, while HPV DNA was not detected in the HPV16- and HPV53-positive participants.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study among healthy individuals from Miyako Island suggest that oral HPV infection is uncommon. In this cohort, HPV71 and HPV12 were persistent, while HPV16 and HPV53 were transient in normal oral mucosa.
Kurose
Kazuyo
K
Department of Oral Restitution, Graduate School, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8549, Japan. kaz.mpa@tmd.ac.jp
Terai
Masanori
M
Soedarsono
Nurtami
N
Rabello
Doralina
D
Nakajima
Yumiko
Y
Burk
Robert D
RD
Takagi
Minoru
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015344:DNA Probes, HPV; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000821:virology*; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence
D015344:DNA Probes, HPV; D004279:DNA, Viral