Human Papillomavirus infection in asymptomatic population.

Objectives: The present study aimed to evaluate type specific Human Papillomavirus (HPV) strains in women with different clinical manifestations but with normal cervical cytology, attending a gynecology out patient clinic and HPV infection in males attending a private pathology laboratory for routine check up in Mumbai.

Methods: Cervical swab specimens from 470 women with normal cervical cytology as detected by Pap were used for detection and typing of HPV by PCR, southern blotting and sequencing. In 104 males, 30 ml of first void/random urine specimens were used for HPV screening.

Results: Thirty-eight women (8.1%) tested positive for HPV. HPV 16, 18, 6, 11 and mixed infection was observed in 26.3%, 10.5%, 36.8%, 5.2% and 15.8% of these infected women, respectively, while 36.8% had other HPV types, indicating high rate of high-risk HPV types 16/18. Among the 104 males, 12 (11.5%) had HPV infection, 50% (n=6) of them were below 30 years. Nine of them were married and three were unmarried.

Conclusions: The present study revealed presence of high risk HPV infection in women with normal cervical cytology. This is the first report from the Western region of India on HPV infection in males using urine specimen.