[Detection of vaginal and cervical human papillomavirus by electronic microscope examination and polymerase chain...

Forty-seven specimens, biopsied during April-July 1990, pathologically proven to be vaginal or cervical condyloma acuminata (CA) in 34, wart-like lesions in 6, infections in 7, were screened for detection of human papillomavirus (HPV) by electronic microscope (EM) examination and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. HPV type 11 (HPV-11) infections were diagnosed by Dot-blot hybridization in 40 out of these 47 specimens.

(1) No typical virus particles was observed in all samples under EM examinations. However, interchromatin and perichromatin granules were found within the nuclei of koilocytes in 88.23% of the vaginal CA specimens. Nuclear bodies were seen in 3 out of 27 vaginal CA and HPV11 positive specimens. Furthermore, koilocytosis was also seen in the basal and parabasal layers of vaginal mucosa. (2) The positive rate for detection of HPV11 and HPV6 DNA by PCR technique in vaginal CA specimens was 92.6%, while positive rate for HPV 11, 6, 16 and 18 DNA was only 3.7%.