Polyethylene glycol increases specificity of hybridization typing of HPV specimens

Different hybridization conditions for the typing of human papillomaviruses (HPV) in clinical biopsy specimens were tested. The stringency of the hybridization reaction was varied by altering the formamide concentration in the solution. Two polymers, dextran sulphate and polyethylene glycol (PEG), were compared as accelerators of the hybridization reaction. The PEG-containing hybridization solution was found to be suitable for typing clinical HPV specimens. Single-stranded RNA probes proved to be more specific than DNA probes in typing clinical specimens. Specimens that were positive both for HPV6 and HPV11 in spot hybridization were confirmed by Southern hybridization. In total, 467 biopsy specimens from genital, anal, oral, aural and nasal lesions were examined for HPV6, HPV11, HPV16 and HPV18 DNA by spot hybridization. Approximately one-third of the specimens were positive for these types.