Men Make More Oral Antibodies to HPV Than Women
Author Information
Author(s): Dianne J Marais, Candice Sampson, Anthea Jeftha, Dherendra Dhaya, Jo-Ann S Passmore, Lynette Denny, Edward P Rybicki, Eric Van Der Walt, Lawrence XG Stephen, Anna-Lise Williamson
Primary Institution: University of Cape Town
Hypothesis
The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of oral fluid testing for detecting the mucosal humoral response to HPV infection.
Conclusion
The study found that oral HPV antibodies were more prevalent in men than women, and in adolescents compared to children.
Supporting Evidence
- Oral HPV infection was highest in children (7.9%), followed by adolescents (5.1%), and lowest in adults (3.5%).
- The prevalence of oral antibodies to HPV-16, HPV-18, and HPV-11 increased from children to adolescents to adults.
- Significantly more adult men displayed oral HPV-16 IgA compared to women.
Takeaway
This study shows that more boys and men have certain antibodies against HPV in their mouths than girls and women, which is surprising because usually women have more antibodies in their blood.
Methodology
Oral fluid was collected from participants attending a dental clinic, and HPV antibodies were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
Limitations
The study did not test for antibodies to the majority of HPV types found in the mouth.
Participant Demographics
Participants included 114 children, 78 adolescents, and 116 adults from a dental clinic in Cape Town.
Statistical Information
P-Value
P = 0.0001
Confidence Interval
95% CI 2.09–12.1
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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