title: Seroprevalence of seven high-risk HPV types in The Netherlands.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To obtain insight into the age-specific seroprevalence for seven high-risk human papillomavirus (hr-HPV) serotypes (HPV16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58) among the general population in the pre-vaccination era in The Netherlands.
  
  
  METHODS
  From a cross-sectional population-based study (ISRCTN 20164309) performed in 2006/2007 6384 sera of men, women and children were tested for seven hr-HPV specific antibodies using a fluorescent bead-based multiplex immunoassay with virus-like particles of the seven HPV serotypes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An increase in seroprevalence was observed in adolescents, especially for the most prevalent HPV type 16 (up to 11.3%). The increase was most pronounced in women, but was less clear for the other six HPV serotypes. Relatively stable seroprevalences were found in the middle aged cohorts and a slight decrease in the elderly. For the age cohorts >14 years, the seroprevalence among women (25.2%) was higher compared with men (20.3%) (p=0.0002). We found that 10.1% of the population was seropositive for multiple HPV serotypes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The HPV vaccination program is targeted at preadolescents as is justified by the results in this study in which a step-up in HPV seroprevalence is observed at ages of sexual debut. Although direct interpretation of seroprevalence data are hampered by cross-reactivity and seroconversion rate, these data are useful as baseline to evaluate long-term population effects of the HPV16/18 vaccination program.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Infectious Diseases and Screening, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands. Mirte.Scherpenisse@rivm.nl
authors.forename: Mirte
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scherpenisse
authors.forename: Madelief
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mollers
authors.forename: Rutger M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Schepp
authors.forename: Hein J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Boot
authors.forename: Hester E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: de Melker
authors.forename: Chris J L M
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Meijer
authors.forename: Guy A M
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Berbers
authors.forename: Fiona R M
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: van der Klis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000145:classification*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012703:Serotyping; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines