title: HPV-associated flat penile lesions in men of a non-STD hospital population: less frequent and smaller in size than in male sexual partners of women with CIN.
abstract: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections and HPV-associated penile lesions are frequently found in male sexual partners of women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). To determine the significance of these findings, we studied the prevalence of HPV and HPV associated penile lesions in a male hospital population with non-STD complaints. Penoscopy was performed after application of acetic acid to identify flat lesions, papular lesions, condylomata acuminata and pearly penile papules (PPPs). Presence of HPV DNA in penile scrapes was tested by GP5+6+ PCR. In case of HPV 16 positivity, viral loads were quantified using a LightCycler based real-time PCR method. Comparing the non-STD male hospital population (n = 118) with the male sexual partners of women with CIN (n = 238), flat penile lesions were found in 14% vs. 60% and penile HPV in 25% vs. 59% of the men, respectively. We found that the presence of penile HPV and, in case of HPV 16 positivity, higher viral loads were associated with the presence of flat penile lesions. Amongst the HPV-positive men, flat penile lesions were more common and larger in size in male sexual partners of women with CIN than in the non-STD hospital population. HPV infections and HPV-associated flat penile lesions are commonly found in the non-STD male population. However, these lesions are less frequently present and smaller in size than in male sexual partners of women with CIN. Higher viral loads in penile scrapes of male sexual partners of women with CIN are reflected by a higher prevalence of flat penile lesions and a larger size of these lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Maaike C G
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Bleeker
authors.forename: Cornelis J A
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Hogewoning
authors.forename: Feja J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Voorhorst
authors.forename: Adriaan J C
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: van den Brule
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Berkhof
authors.forename: Albertus T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Hesselink
authors.forename: Marjolein
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lettink
authors.forename: Theo M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Starink
authors.forename: Tom J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Stoof
authors.forename: Peter J F
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Snijders
authors.forename: Chris J L M
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Meijer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003127:Colposcopy; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D027383:Papillomaviridae; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D010409:Penile Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D012747:Sexual Partners; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D019562:Viral Load; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000175:diagnosis