A rapid DNA probe test for detecting human papilloma virus types 6/11 and 16 in biopsy specimens

A simple, rapid and sensitive non-radioactive in situ hybridization assay for human papillomavirus (HPV) has been developed and used to detect HPV 6/11 and HPV16 DNA in ano-genital biopsy specimens. A comparative study to determine the sensitivity and the specificity of this assay relative to Southern blot hybridization assays was performed using one hundred biopsy specimens. The sensitivity of the in situ hybridization assay was 88% for HPV type 6/11 and 89% for HPV type 16. The specificity of the test was 99% for both virus types. In addition to its high sensitivity and specificity, this in situ hybridization assay for HPV uses a non-radioactive detection system. The assay is faster and easier to perform than the Southern blot method. Also, in situ hybridization assays permit the simultaneous evaluation of the histology, as well as the DNA content of biopsy tissues because they do not result in the destruction of tissue or cell morphology. This prototype HPV DNA assay was developed using DNA probes for HPV 6/11 and HPV 16 DNA in anogenital biopsy specimens. However, the protocol developed in these studies can easily be extended to include the use of probes for detecting other HPV types in a variety of tissues.