title: Beta-papillomaviruses in anogenital hairs plucked from healthy individuals.
abstract: A total of 150 specimens of anogenital hairs plucked from the scrotal, pubic, and perianal region of 51 immunocompetent healthy male individuals were tested for the presence of beta-papillomaviruses (beta-HPV) using the nested M(a)/H(a) polymerase chain reaction. Beta-HPV were found in a total of 38 (25.3%) of 150 hair samples. According to the sampling sites, beta-HPV were detected in 18/51 (35.3%), 13/50 (26.0%), and 7/49 (14.3%) plucked hair samples obtained from the pubic, scrotal, and perianal region, respectively. The prevalence of beta-HPV in the plucked pubic hairs was significantly higher than in the perianal hairs (P = 0.013). In contrast, the difference in the prevalence of beta-HPV in the pubic and scrotal hairs as well as in scrotal and perianal hairs did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.302 and P = 0.227, respectively). The difference in the lifetime-cumulative sun exposure is the most likely explanation for the differences obtained on beta-HPV prevalence. Beta-HPV genotype HPV-38 was detected most frequently, followed by HPV-36, HPV-15, and HPV-14D. In addition to the beta-HPV recognized officially five partial DNA sequences suggesting putative new HPV genotypes were identified.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatovenereology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Marko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Potocnik
authors.forename: Bostjan J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Kocjan
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Seme
authors.forename: Bostjan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Luzar
authors.forename: Dunja Z
authors.initials: DZ
authors.lastname: Babic
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Poljak
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001003:Anal Canal / Q000821:virology*; D052686:Betapapillomavirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005838:Genotype; D006197:Hair / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007121:Immunocompetence; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D010802:Phylogeny; D015995:Prevalence; D011631:Pubic Symphysis; D012611:Scrotum / Q000821:virology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral