Detection of human papillomavirus in the oral cavities of persons with Fanconi anemia

Abstract

Objective: We conducted a cross-sectional study to describe the prevalence and correlates of type-specific human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in the oral cavities of persons with Fanconi anemia.

Materials and methods: Oral swabs were collected from 67 participants with Fanconi anemia and tested for 27 HPV genotypes using polymerase chain reaction-based methods.

Results: Participants were a mean of 18.6 (standard deviation, 10.0) years of age (range 4-47 years). The prevalence of oral HPV infection was 7.5%, and the prevalence of high-risk HPV infection was 6.0%. HPV type 16 was not detected in any samples. Prevalence was higher in adults than in children (13.3% vs 2.7% in those ≥18 vs <18 years of age). Among adults, prevalence was higher in males than in females (25.0% vs 9.1%, respectively).

Conclusions: Prevalence of oral HPV infection in persons with Fanconi anemia was comparable to estimates from other studies in the general population. However, in contrast to previous studies, we did not identify HPV type 16 (the type found in most HPV-related head and neck cancers) in any participants.

Keywords: Fanconi anemia; head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; oral human papillomavirus.