POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION - A SENSITIVE INDICATOR OF THE PREVALENCE OF HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS DNA IN A POPULATION WITH SEXUALLY-TRANSMITTED DISEASE

A total of 311 cervical samples from first attenders at a sexually tra nsmitted disease clinic assayed for human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA wit h ViraType (VT) were analyzed with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for HPV using HPV L1 consensus primers and typed using L1 type-specif ic probes for 6/11, 16, 18 and 33. The prevalence of HPV by PCR teas a lmost double that by VT (23.5% as compared to 12.6%, respectively). Th e increase was clue largely to HPV types other than 6/11, 16, 18 and 3 3 (61.8%), while HPV types 6/11, 16 and 18 were responsible for 5.9%, 2.9% and 11.8%, respectively. Equal numbers of mixed infections of HPV 6/11/18 and HPV 16/18 each contributed to 8.8%. Mixed infection, as d etermined by VT, was 11% and increased to 40% with PCR. While the incr ease in the HPV detection rate by PCX was evident in all clinical cate gories examined (patients with no warts evident and no past history of warts, with no warts but a past history of warts and with clinical co ndylomata), a statistically significant increase occurred only in the first group, reflecting the increased sensitivity of PCX in detecting latent infection.