Betapapillomaviruses in the Anal Canal of HIV Positive and HIV Negative Men Who Have Sex with Men

    May 2014 in “ BMC Infectious Diseases ”
    Mario Poljak, Boštjan J. Kocjan, Boštjan Mlakar, Lea Hošnjak, Kristina Fujs Komloš, Miloš Milošević, Katja Seme
    TLDR HIV-positive men who have sex with men have a higher rate of anal beta-papillomavirus infections.
    The study investigated anal beta-papillomavirus (beta-PV) infections in 135 Slovenian men who have sex with men (MSM), aged 17-81, with 17% being HIV-1 positive. Beta-PV DNA was found in 64.1% of anal samples, with single and multiple HPV types detected. HIV-1 positive men had a significantly higher prevalence (95.7%) of beta-PV compared to HIV-1 negative men (58.9%), and they also had a higher average number of beta-PV types. The use of alkyl nitrates during intercourse was linked to a higher number of detected HPV types. The study highlighted a high prevalence of anal beta-PV infection among MSM, particularly those who were HIV-1 positive, promiscuous, or used alkyl nitrates, but the clinical significance of these infections required further investigation.
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