Adenocarcinoma in situ of the endocervix: human papillomavirus determination by dot blot hybridization and polymerase chain reaction amplification.

The frequency of human papillomavirus (HPV) in series of endocervical adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) ranges from 6 to 100%. Some of this variability can be attributed to small study numbers and such technical considerations as the sensitivity of the hybridization method employed. Consequently, the role of the HPV in AIS oncogenesis is unclear. The frequency and relative distribution of HPV DNA types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, and 35 in 37 cases of AIS were determined and correlated with clinical variables. All cases were first typed by dot blot hybridization (DBH), and those found to be HPV negative were subsequently typed by polymerase chain reaction amplification with DBH enhancement (PCR/DBH). The HPV DNA positivity rate was 27% by DBH alone and 52% by PCR/DBH amplification. Combining the results of both methods, the overall HPV positivity rate was 66%: HPV 18 in 15 cases (43%), HPV 16 in eight cases (23%). The HPV status did not correlate with any clinical variable. This study showed that the sensitivity of the hybridization method is principally accountable for the variable frequency of HPV in AIS. The identification of only high-risk oncogenic HPV types in two-thirds of the cases suggests a significant role for the virus in AIS oncogenesis; HPV status, however, does not delineate a clinical profile.