Detection of high-risk human papillomavirus by two molecular techniques: hybrid capture and linear array.

A number of human papillomaviruses (HPV) are the etiological agents of cervical cancer. The present study compared the performance of the hybrid capture method with that of linear array for the detection of high-risk HPV in 218 cervical samples. For the linear array technique, the DNA was extracted using two different procedures, one manual and the other automated. There was no difference in high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) detectability between the two extraction procedures but the automated procedure had the advantages of simplicity, time and efficiency. There was agreement in 199 (91.3%) of the results. The K value for the two assays was 0.81 indicative of "near perfect" agreement. Both methods, hybrid capture and linear array, are sensitive options for detection of HPV in cervical samples. Linear array enables the identification of the genotype present in the sample and the presence of multiple infections.