Vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia: correlation of nuclear DNA content and the presence of a human papilloma virus (HPV) structural antigen.

Immunoperoxidase localization of a human papilloma virus structural antigen (HPV) was attempted in 68 intraepithelial lesions of the vulva, 39 of which were analyzed for nuclear DNA content by microspectrophotometry. Overall, 5.9% (4/68) stained positive for HPV. Ninety percent (35/39) of the cases tested were aneuploid, and, of these, 2.8% (1/35) stained positive for HPV. In contrast, 50% (2/4) of the polyploid lesions were positive. Hence DNA microspectrophotometry and immunoperoxidase localization of HPV are useful coparameters for distinguishing wart virus infection (condylomata) from vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia. HPV is detected infrequently within aneuploid lesions, in keeping with the concept that epithelial maturation is required for virion assembly. Whether the HPV genome exists in a nonreplicative state within the aneuploid cell population is unknown.