High Oral Human Papillomavirus Type 16 Load Predicts Long-term Persistence in Individuals With or at Risk for HIV Infection

The association between oral human papillomavirus 16 (HPV16) DNA load and infection clearance was evaluated among 88 individuals with oral HPV16 infection who were identified within a prospective cohort of 1470 HIV-infected and uninfected individuals. Oral rinse specimens were collected semiannually for up to 5 years. The oral HPV16 load at the time of the first positive test result was significantly associated with the time to clearance of infection (continuous P trends <.01). Notably, clearance rates by 24 months were 41% and 94% in the highest and lowest HPV16 load tertiles (P = .03), respectively. High oral HPV16 load warrants consideration as a biomarker for infection persistence, the presumed precursor of HPV16-associated oropharyngeal cancer.