Prevalence and Epidemiologic Profile of Oral Infection with Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Papillomaviruses in an Asian Chinese Population

Background. Knowledge of the prevalence of and risk factors for oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, especially cutaneous types, is limited. Methods. A population-based study using next-generation sequencing consecutively recruited asymptomatic individuals aged 18-64 years from a proportional sampling of the general population of Hong Kong, according to age groups, gender, and regions of residence. We examined associations of alpha-, beta-, and gamma-HPVs from oral rinse samples with participants' sociodemographics by logistic regression models. Results. The prevalence of oral HPV infection among 1426 ethnic Chinese was 15.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 13.7%17.5%), 2.5% (95% CI, 1.8%-3.5%), 11.9% (95% CI, 10.3%-13.6%), and 2.9% (95% CI, 2.1%-3.9%) for any type, alpha-, beta-, and gamma-HPV, respectively. Prevalence of any high-risk HPV was 0.8% (95% CI, 0.4%-1.4%), and that of HPV-16 was 0.4% (95% CI, 0.2%-0.8%). HPV-8 and HPV-98 were the most common beta types detected, while HPV-4 and HPV-SD2R were the most common gamma types. Prevalence of alpha-and beta/gamma-HPV infection showed a similar pattern of increase with age, and was higher in men than women. Smoking, drinking, oral sex, and more sexual partners were associated with alpha-HPV. Teeth brushing before sleep was protective for beta/gamma-HPVs. Discussion. The epidemiologic factors associated with oral infection with alpha-HPVs are different from those of beta/gamma-HPVs, suggesting different modes of acquisition and persistence.