Biotin and phosphorus-isotopic labelled DNA/RNA probes for the detection of human papilloma virus sequences

In this study, the diagnostic accuracy and practicability of different hybridization techniques for the detection of human papilloma virus (HPV) DNA were tested. Cervical cell scrapes (n = 67) were analysed for HPV-DNAs 6/11 and 16, in order to compare a commercially available in situ DNA hybridization-assay with the conventional Southern-blot analysis. The in situ DNA hybridization-assay gave a sensitivity of 81.5%, a specificity of 97.5% and a diagnostic efficiency of 91.0% for HPV-DNAs 6/11. Using the same assay, we observed a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 96.3% and a diagnostic efficiency of 97.0% for HPV-DNA 16. The practicability of dot-blot DNA hybridization technique was tested on 176 cervical cell scrapes, in order to determine the prevalence rate of HPV-genotypes 6/11, 16/18 and 31/33/35. In the random control group (n = 106), 1.9% of the cases were HPV-DNA positive. In the cancer prevention group (n = 70), patients with reactive and reparative cell changes showed a HPV-DNA positivity of 55.0%, with mild (slight) dysplasia/CIN 1 of 73.7%, and with moderate to severe dysplasia/CIN 2 to CIN 3, including the carcinoma in situ/CIN 3 of 80.0%. Patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix uteri gave HPV-DNA positive results in 96.2% of the cases. The suitability of in situ DNA hybridization for morphological studies was tested on tissue biopsies (n = 68). The HPV-DNAs 6/11 were found predominantly to 72.7% of the examined condylomas. The HPV-DNA positive cervices increased with the severity of the cytological dysplasia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)