Low prevalence of HPV infection and its natural history in normal oral mucosa among volunteers on Miyako Island, Japan.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in normal oral mucosa, and to observe the natural history in the oral cavity in oral swab samples collected from healthy volunteers on Miyako Island, Okinawa, Japan. STUDY DESIGN: The prevalence of HPV infection in oral buccal mucosa cell scrapes collected between 2000 and 2002 from a cohort of 668 healthy volunteers was determined. HPV DNA was detected by consensus polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using MY09/MY11 primers followed by direct cycle sequencing. Just over 2 years later the HPV-positive participants were reevaluated. RESULTS: Of the 668 subjects, 662 samples were analyzed for HPV. HPV DNA was detected in 4 (0.6%) specimens. HPV type 16 (HPV16), HPV53, and HPV71, mucosal types, and HPV12, a cutaneous type, were all identified by direct sequencing. In the follow-up survey, the HPV71- and HPV12-positive participants again tested positive, while HPV DNA was not detected in the HPV16- and HPV53-positive participants. CONCLUSION: The results of this study among healthy individuals from Miyako Island suggest that oral HPV infection is uncommon. In this cohort, HPV71 and HPV12 were persistent, while HPV16 and HPV53 were transient in normal oral mucosa.