Risk factors for human papillomavirus detection in urine samples of heterosexual men visiting urological clinics in Japan

Abstract Objective The present study aimed to investigate human papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence and identify risk factors for HPV detection in urine samples among heterosexual men attending urological clinics. Materials and Methods Spot urine samples including initial stream were collected from 845 participants, and the cell pellets were preserved into liquid-based cytological solution. After DNA extraction from each sample, HPV-DNA amplification and genotyping were performed using Luminex multiplex polymerase chain reaction. Participants completed a questionnaire on their age, education, smoking status, sexuality, age of sexual debut, marital status, and present history of sexually transmitted infections. Results Data from 803 patients were included in the analysis. Overall HPV and high-risk (HR) HPV prevalence in urine samples were 6.2% and 3.1%, respectively. HPV and HR-HPV prevalences were the highest in men with urethritis, and were significantly higher than those without urethritis. HPV detection was the most common in men aged 40–49 years, although significant detection differences were not age-related. Urethritis was an independent risk factor for HPV detection from urine samples, with an odds ratio (OR) of 4.548 (95%CI; 1.802–11.476) (p = 0.001). On the other hand, a sub-analysis excluding men with urethritis demonstrated that prostate cancer was a significant risk factor for HPV detection, with OR of 2.844 (95%CI; 1.046–7.732) (p = 0.0410), whereas was not a significant risk for HR-HPV detection in urine samples. Conclusion Prostate cancer may represent a risk factor for HPV detection in the urine of men without urethritis. Registration of clinical trials The authors did not register to Clinical Trial because this is observational and cross-sectional study.