Human papillomavirus sequences are not detectable by Southern blotting or general primer-mediated polymerase chain reaction in transitional cell tumours of the bladder.

A large series of transitional cell tumours has been screened for the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) sequences using Southern blotting and general primer-mediated polymerase chain reaction (GP-PCR). The latter technique allows the detection of a broad spectrum of both sequenced and unsequenced HPV types using two primer pairs located in the highly conserved L1 and E1 regions of the HPV genome. No evidence for HPV infection was found in 100 transitional cell tumours, 6 cases of carcinoma in situ, 2 adenocarcinomas and a squamous carcinoma of the bladder and 3 cases of cystitis. Similarly, 12 bladder tumour cell lines were HPV-negative in these assays. Cervical carcinoma cell lines containing from 1-3 to 600 copies of the HPV genome were used as positive controls and were scored positive in all assays by both Southern blotting and GP-PCR. It is concluded that despite the close proximity of the urothelium to the genital mucosa and the resemblance of some bladder tumours to known HPV-induced lesions in other tissues, HPV infection is absent or very uncommon in bladder tumours.