Abstract

FANEYE, Adedayo O. et al. Oral human papilloma virus infection among dental clinic attendees in Ibadan, Nigeria. Afr. J. Lab. Med. [online]. 2022, vol.11, n.1, pp.1-5. ISSN 2225-2010.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/ajlm.v11i1.1555.

BACKGROUND: Human papilloma virus (HPV) is associated with a subset of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma and mouth or throat warts. However, there is currently limited information about oral HPV infections in Nigeria. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to provide information on the occurrence and circulating genotypes of HPV among patients attending three (one government and two private) dental clinics in Ibadan, Nigeria. METHODS: An oral swab was collected from 231 dental clinic attendees in Ibadan between January 2016 and March 2017 and tested for HPV DNA by polymerase chain reaction targeting the E6/7 genes of the virus. RESULTS: Twenty-three of the 231 swab samples were HPV DNA positive comprising 16 mono-infections and seven co-infections in 13 males and ten females. Genotype 16 was present in ten patients, genotype 6/11 in five, Genotype 18 and genotype 33 in four each, genotype 31 in three and genotype 39 in one. Twenty-one cases were high-risk HPV genotypes, while two were low-risk. Samples had co-infection and five had low risk type 6/11 either as single or as co-infection. Persons who had engaged in oral sex as well as those aged 21-30 years has significantly higher prevalence. CONCLUSION: This study showed that although HPV genotype 16 is the most common type among dental clinic attendees in Ibadan, other genotypes are also circulating and that oral sex is a risk factor for the infection. Therefore, introducing a multivalent HPV vaccine will reduce the risk of HPV-associated oropharyngeal carcinoma and other cancers in Nigeria.

Keywords : oral HPV infection; dental clinic attendees; molecular detection; HPV vaccine; Nigeria.

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