Detection of human papillomavirus (HPV) types in precancerous and cancerous lesions of cervix in Indian women: a preliminary report.

One hundred cervical tissues including 72 malignancies (68 squamous cell carcinomas, 3 adenocarcinomas, 1 neuro-endocrine carcinoma), 24 cases of CIN of various grades and 4 normals were examined for the presence of Human Papilloma virus (HPV) types by non isotopic in-situ hybridisation. Biotinylated probes to HPV types 16 and 18 were used in all the cases and 31 and 33 in 15 squamous Carcinomas. HPV DNA sequences were detected in 55/72 (76.4%) of the malignant lesions, of which among squamous Carcinomas. HPV 16 alone was present in 12 of 68 cases (17.64%) and type 18 in 15 of 68 cases (22.0%). 20/68 (29.4%) showed both types 16 and 18. Of the 15 cases examined for types 31 and 33.5 cases showed presence of both types. All three adenocarcinomas were negative for HPV 16, but positive for HPV 18. The solitary case of Neuroendocrine Carcinoma showed only HPV 18. Of the 24 CINS, type 16 was detected in 7/24 cases (29.1%) type 18 in 2/24 (8.3%) cases and both types in 1/24 (4.1%). None of the normal cases showed positive signals for HPV. The overall results show a slight preponderance of HPV 18 in this group of carcinoma of cervix studied and correlate with poor differentiation and greater aggressive behaviour of cervical cancer which is the most common type of cancer among women in this country.