Typing of human papillomaviruses in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 biopsies from Cape Town.

DNA from 98 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 (CIN 3) biopsies was screened, using the Southern blotting hybridization technique, for human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, and 35. HPV 16 was detected in 16 biopsies (16%), HPV 33 in eight biopsies (8%), HPV 31 in two biopsies (2%), and HPV 18 in one biopsy (1%). One of the biopsies contained both HPV 31 and 18. Six biopsies (6%) contained an HPV type very similar but not identical to HPV 16, and 35 biopsies were positive for HPV, but the Pst 1 restriction fragments were distinct from any of the HPV types used as probes. HPV was not detected in 32% (32/98) of the biopsies screened.