Determination of Human Papillomavirus Type by In Situ Hybridization Analysis: A Comparative Study with Southern Blot Hybridization and Polymerase Chain Reaction

To ascertain whether the type of human papillomavirus (HPV) in a tissue could be accurately deduced with in situ hybridization analysis, HPV-containing tissues were analyzed at varying stringencies. Whenever possible, the results were compared with the type determined by Southern blot analysis after endonuclease digestion and the polymerase chain reaction. In situ analysis allowed for accurate determination of the specific type for HPVs 1, 2, 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, and 35, based on the pattern of crosshybridization at low stringency and the loss of crosshybridization at high stringency for all but the homologous probe. Novel (related but distinct from the HPV probe) types showed variable crosshybridization patterns. A common pattern was a similarly intense hybridization signal for several different types at low stringency, which was lost or much reduced at high stringency. It is concluded that the type of HPVs commonly detected in genital and nongenital lesions can be accurately and rapidly determined with in situ analysis. (The J Histotechnol 15:99, 1992)