Cancer associated human papillomaviruses: perinatal transmission and persistence.

Objective: To demonstrate the perinatal transmission and persistence of the cancer associated human papillomavirus types 16, 18, 31 and 33.

Design: Cervical swabs were taken from pregnant women between 20 and 38 weeks of gestation. Buccal and genital swabs were taken from infants at 24 h and at six weeks after delivery and examined for HPV-16, -18, -31 and -33 DNA by the polymerase chain reaction.

Setting: Maternity Unit at St Thomas's Hospital, London.

Subjects: Thirty-one pregnant women, 16 with a previous history of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia or genital warts, or both, and their 32 infants (one set of twins).

Results: Twenty of the 31 (65%) women were positive for HPV-DNA prior to delivery. Twelve of 32 (38%) and eight of 31 (26%) infants were HPV-DNA positive at 24 h and six weeks respectively. Swabs taken at 24 h demonstrated HPV type 16 in five mother-infant pairs and HPV type 18 in two mother-infant pairs. Dual infections with HPV types 16 and 18 were demonstrated in swabs from three mother-infant pairs. At six weeks, HPV-16 was demonstrated in swabs from six infants and HPV-18 in swabs from two infants.

Conclusions: Perinatal transmission of human papillomavirus types 16 and 18 occurred in 55% cases. Persistent human papillomavirus infection was demonstrated at six weeks of age. Whether acquisition of human papillomavirus during the perinatal period predisposes to an increased risk of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia among female infants in later life remains to be established. Information on the persistence of perinatally acquired human papillomavirus is required before rational vaccination programmes can be considered.