Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections. In addition to sexual transmission, papillomavirus can also be transmitted through surfaces, autoinoculation and vertical transmission. Limited studies have also indicated the presence of HPV DNA in the blood of healthy individuals. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of blood donors of Ilam city-Iran. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We explored the prevalence of HPVs in 108 (58 males and 50 females) blood donors. DNA was extracted from the buffy coat, and genotyping was performed by sequencing after generic nested-PCR detection procedure using MY09/11 and GP5+/6+ primers targeting L1 region in HPV genome. RESULTS: HPV DNA was detected in 11 out of 108 samples (10.18 %). Genotype 16 was identified in 3 cases, followed by genotype 6 in 2 cases and genotypes 11, 31, 35, 51, 53, 59 each in one case. The positive cases included 4 men and 7 women, and their ages ranged from 25 to 37 years. CONCLUSION: HPV DNA was detected in PBMCs of asymptomatic blood donors. These results support the concern about blood transfusion as a potential source of HPV transmission and need for future studies.