Prevalence of Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-16 in Different Dental Infections in the Lebanese Population

Background: Dental infections, which are the main cause of tooth loss, are known to be caused by bacteria. However, recent research suggests that other organisms, such as viruses, may also play a role. In this study, we aim to detect the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV)-16 and assess its prevalence in tissues infected with various dental infections, including aggressive and chronic periodontitis, pericoronitis, and periapical infection, as well as healthy gingival tissues, saliva, and gingival crevicular fluid, for comparison. Methods: A cross-sectional study including 124 adult healthy patients presenting with dental infections requiring dental extractions were conducted to assess the prevalence of HPV-16 in saliva, infected, and healthy tissues using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. Samples were collected and a categorical scale was used for the prevalence. Statistical analyses were performed using Chi-square for the prevalence of HPV-16. Results: Among the HPV-16-positive PCR cases, the prevalence of HPV-16 was highest in periapical infection tissues as compared to chronic periodontitis, aggressive periodontitis, pericoronitis, and control tissues. Conclusion: The prevalence of HPV-16 in periapical infection samples was the highest among the studied dental infection samples. Thus, a primary conclusion can be drawn about the presence of an association between HPV-16 and the occurrence of periapical infection.