EVALUATION OF THE HYBRID CAPTURE HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC-ACID DETECTION TEST

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to evaluate the sensitivity and accuracy of a new, nonradioactive human papillomavirus deoxyribonucleic acid dete ction method. STUDY DESIGN: Cervical samples from 520 women were assay ed for human papillomavirus deoxyribonucleic add with both the Hybrid Capture test and polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Human papillomavi rus deoxyribonucleic acid was detected with Hybrid Capture in 106 (42% ) of 254 samples from women with no evidence of cervical intraepitheli al neoplasia and 211 (79%) of 266 with cervical intraepithelial lesion s or cervical cancer. There was a good correlation between Hybrid Capt ure and polymerase chain reaction. Hybrid Capture correctly identified 92% of samples found to contain a human papillomavirus type with a hi gh or intermediate oncogenic risk with polymerase chain reaction. Alth ough Hybrid Capture can quantify the amount of human papillomavirus de oxyribonucleic acid present in a sample, no correlation was observed b etween the relative amount of human papillomavirus deoxyribonucleic ac id detected with Hybrid Capture and the grade of cervical lesion. CONC LUSION: The Hybrid Capture test is a sensitive and accurate method for identifying human papillomavirus types of high and intermediate oncog enic risk in clinical specimens.