title: Presence of human papillomavirus in semen of healthy men is firmly associated with HPV infections of the penile epithelium.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the source of human papillomavirus (HPV) in semen.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational study (CCMO-NL3248800010).
  
  
  METHODS
  Academic hospital-based laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Healthy male volunteers (n = 213).
  
  
  METHODS
  One penile scrape and three semen samples were obtained per participant for HPV-DNA testing by both GP5+/6+ polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and SPF10-PCR to detect moderate/high and low viral loads, respectively; flat penile lesions (FPL) were detected by penoscopy.
  
  
  METHODS
  HPV-DNA presence in semen and penile scrapes, and the presence of FPL.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HPV-DNA at moderate/high viral loads (i.e., GP5+/6+ PCR-positive) was detected in ≥1 semen sample(s) in 27% of participants. Most men with moderate/high viral loads in the penile scrape also had moderate/high viral loads in semen (85%). Men with a HPV-negative penile scrape were very unlikely to have moderate/high viral loads in semen (3%). The presence of HPV in semen was associated with the presence of HPV in the penile scrape also on a genotype-specific level. Having FPL was a risk factor for HPV presence in semen.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HPV-DNA presence in semen of healthy men is common and associated with HPV infections of the penile epithelium. HPV-DNA presence in semen may result from desquamation of HPV-infected penile cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Roosmarijn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Luttmer
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Maaike G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Dijkstra
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Peter J F
authors.initials: PJF
authors.lastname: Snijders
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ekaterina S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Jordanova
authors.affiliation: Department of the National Immunisation Programme and Virology, Centre for Infectious Disease Research, Diagnostics and Screening, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Audrey J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: King
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Divera T M
authors.initials: DTM
authors.lastname: Pronk
authors.affiliation: Section of Clinical Pathology and Unit for Human Reproduction Pathology, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Foresta
authors.affiliation: Section of Clinical Pathology and Unit for Human Reproduction Pathology, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garolla
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Peter G A
authors.initials: PGA
authors.lastname: Hompes
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Berkhof
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Maaike C G
authors.initials: MCG
authors.lastname: Bleeker
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Doorbar
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Daniëlle A M
authors.initials: DAM
authors.lastname: Heideman
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Electronic address: cjlm.meijer@vumc.nl.
authors.forename: Chris J L M
authors.initials: CJLM
authors.lastname: Meijer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D010409:Penile Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D010413:Penis / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012661:Semen / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology*; D015229:Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D019562:Viral Load; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral
keywords: Flat penile lesion; human papillomavirus; semen; transmission