Asymptomatic HPV Infection In Anogenitalia Of Men Attending A STD Clinic And Its Risk Factors

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a small,double-stranded DNA virus thatcauses proliferation of cutaneous and mucosal epithelia, including condylomaacuminatum, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), cervical cancer, penilecancer and anal cancer, etc. Moreover, HPV can also cause asymptomaticinfection. By following up the asymptomatic infectors, some study revealed thatthe latent infection of HPV could develope into condyloma acuminatum. Thiskind of infection is also closely linked with the recurrence of condylomaacuminatum. After treatment, HPV DNA could still be found in the primarylesions and areas surrounding them. Under this condition, the recurrence rate ofcondyloma acuminatum is significantly higher. Furthermore, anogenital HPVinfection with certain HPV types has consistently been reported as the mostimportant risk factor of cervical cancer, penile cancer and anol cancer, etc. TheseHPVs can cause the dysplasias by inhibiting the activities of tumor suppressorproteins p53 and pRb through the viral oncoproteins E6 and E7 .In addition, theasymptomatic infectors have also been implicated as the vectors of the virus,because they can transmit the HPV virus to their sex partners by sexual behavior. Although much data exists on HPV infection in women, knowledge about HPVinfection in men is limited, partly because the low incidence of penile cancer.Another factor hampering such study is that cells are more difficult to harvestfrom skin in men than from moist mucosal surfaces in women. However, moredata is needed on the epidemiology of anogenital HPV infection in men toelucidate the mechanism of sexual transmission and pathogenesis. The object ofthis study is to gain a general understanding of epidemiologic characterstics ofasymptomatic HPV infection in men.