Irakli Khuntsaria, Elene Kekelia, Mariam Abuladze, Ana Mamiseishvili, Eter Dumbadze, Manana Akhvlediani, Martin Kaufmann Andreas, Ivane Abiatari, Ekaterina Kldiashvili
Petre Shotadze Tbilisi Medical Academy, Tbilisi, Georgia.
Todua Clinic, Tbilisi, Georgia.
IJID Reg. 2025 May 21;15:100675. doi: 10.1016/j.ijregi.2025.100675. eCollection 2025 Jun.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections worldwide, associated with a range of anogenital and oropharyngeal cancers in men. Despite this, male populations are often underrepresented in HPV surveillance and prevention programs, particularly in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of high-risk HPV in asymptomatic men in Georgia using both serologic and molecular diagnostics.
We conducted a cross-sectional study of 372 asymptomatic men aged 25-65 years, recruited from urban outpatient clinics in Tbilisi. Serum samples were analyzed using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit (DiaPro) to detect immunoglobulin G antibodies specific to HPV16 and HPV18. Simultaneously, HPV DNA was extracted and genotyped using the Anyplex™ II HPV28 Detection Assay (Seegene), which identifies 28 genotypes, including 14 high-risk types.
Only five participants (1.34%; 95% confidence interval: 0.6-3.1%) tested positive for HPV16/18-specific immunoglobulin G antibodies. In contrast, HPV DNA was detected in 165 participants (44.4%). The most common genotypes were HPV31 (15.1%), HPV16 (10.0%), HPV33 (5.4%), and HPV18 (4.8%). All detected genotypes were high-risk. Among seropositive individuals, three had HPV16, one had HPV31, and one had HPV18.
These findings reveal a high prevalence of high-risk HPV genotypes in asymptomatic Georgian men, despite low seropositivity. The results support the need for gender-neutral HPV vaccination and underscore the limitations of serological testing in male populations.
人乳头瘤病毒（HPV）是全球最常见的性传播感染之一，与男性一系列肛门生殖器和口咽癌相关。尽管如此，男性人群在HPV监测和预防项目中的代表性往往不足，尤其是在东欧和高加索地区。本研究旨在使用血清学和分子诊断方法评估格鲁吉亚无症状男性中高危HPV的流行率。
我们对372名年龄在25至65岁之间的无症状男性进行了一项横断面研究，这些男性是从第比利斯的城市门诊诊所招募的。使用商用酶联免疫吸附测定试剂盒（DiaPro）分析血清样本，以检测针对HPV16和HPV18的免疫球蛋白G抗体。同时，使用Anyplex™ II HPV28检测试剂盒（Seegene）提取HPV DNA并进行基因分型，该试剂盒可识别28种基因型，包括14种高危型。
只有5名参与者（1.34%；95%置信区间：0.6 - 3.1%）HPV16/18特异性免疫球蛋白G抗体检测呈阳性。相比之下，165名参与者（44.4%）检测到HPV DNA。最常见的基因型是HPV31（15.1%）、HPV16（10.0%）、HPV33（5.4%）和HPV18（4.8%）。所有检测到的基因型均为高危型。在血清阳性个体中，3人感染HPV16，1人感染HPV31，1人感染HPV18。
这些发现表明，尽管血清阳性率较低，但格鲁吉亚无症状男性中高危HPV基因型的流行率较高。结果支持了进行不分性别的HPV疫苗接种的必要性，并强调了男性人群血清学检测的局限性。
