Correction: Synergistic effect of viral load and alcohol consumption on the risk of persistent high-risk human papillomavirus infection.

There is an error in the second and third to last sentences of the “Subjects and groups” subsection of the Materials and Methods. The correct sentences are: Clearance was defined for both follow-up groups as HPV positivity at baseline with HPV negativity 1 year (n = 148) or 2 years later (n = 66) regardless of intermediate results. Persistence was defined as HPV positivity at baseline with HPV positivity at 1 (n = 136) or 2 years later (n = 56), regardless of intermediate results.

There are multiple errors in Table 5. Please see the corrected Table 5 here.

Table 5

Effect of the interaction between a high HR-HPV load and alcohol consumption on the risk of 2-year HR-HPV persistence.

	Low HR-HPV load 1 )		High HR-HPV load		Age-adjusted OR for a high HPV load within the strata of alcohol consumption
	N w/wo	Age-adjusted OR	N w/wo	Age-adjusted OR		RERI 3 )
	persistence	(95% CI) 2 )	persistence	(95% CI)		S 4 )
No alcohol consumption	11/23	1 (ref.)	15/10	3.37 (1.09–10.4);	3.29 (1.07–10.1);	3.26 (1.42–5.09);
				p = 0.035	p = 0.037	p < 0.001
Alcohol consumption	10/23	0.99 (0.34–2.92);	20/10	6.61 (2.09–20.9);	7.22 (2.09–24.9);	2.38 (1.46–3.89);
		p = 0.988		p = 0.001	p = 0.002	p < 0.001
Age-adjusted OR for alcohol consumption within the strata of HPV load		0.98 (0.34–2.86);		2.14 (0.62–7.45);
		p = 0.975		p = 0.231
Alcohol consumption for < 5 years	12/23	1 (ref.)	17/11	2.57 (0.96–6.84);	3.30 (1.12–9.77);	3.66 (-1.74–9.06);
				p = 0.060	p = 0.031	p = 0.184
Alcohol consumption for ≥ 5 years	5/17	0.49 (0.15–1.59);	14/6	5.72 (1.70–19.2);	15.9 (2.71–93.4);	4.47 (0.25–78.3);
		p = 0.235		p = 0.005	p = 0.002	p = 0.305
Age-adjusted OR for alcohol consumption within the strata of HPV load		0.63 (0.18–2.20);		2.80 (0.66–11.9);
		p = 0.466		p = 0.163
Alcohol consumption of < 15g alcohol/day	13/26	1 (ref.)	18/12	2.40 (0.31–3.96);	3.23 (1.15–9.09);	0.84 (-3.32–4.50);
				p = 0.061	p = 0.026	p = 0.692
Alcohol consumption of ≥ 15g alcohol/day	5/7	1.10 (0.31–3.96);	10/6	3.34 (1.03–10.7);	6.68 (0.83–53.9);	1.56 (0.18–13.7);
		p = 0.883		p = 0.044	p = 0.075	p = 0.687
Age-adjusted OR for alcohol consumption within the strata of HPV load		1.45 (0.38–5.63);		1.94 (0.45–8.32);
		p = 0.589		p = 0.373

† N w/wo persistence, the number of subjects with/without persistence; OR, odd ratio

1) HPV load was classified as low (< 100 relative light units [RLU]/positive control [PC]) or high (≥ 100 RLU/PC).

2) Logistic regression analysis was performed after adjustment for age as a continuous variable. Risk estimates were calculated with no alcohol consumption, alcohol consumption for < 5 years, or alcohol consumption of < 15 g/day and a low HPV load combination as reference categories.

3) and 4) The relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI) and synergy index (S) were calculated as described by Rothman et al. RERI > 0 and S > 1.0 indicate a synergistic effect between HR-HPV load and alcohol consumption behaviors.