Detection of human papillomavirus DNA in the normal cervices of Japanese women by the dot-blot (Vira Pap) method.

Exfoliated cervical cells obtained from 9 patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) I and II, 11 with CIN III, 22 with cervical carcinoma, and 599 with cytologically normal cervices (including 63 pregnant women) were evaluated for the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) by the dot-blot (Vira Pap) method. HPV infection was detected in 33.3% of the CIN I and II cases, in 54.5% of the CIN III cases, in 68.2% of invasive cervical carcinoma cases, and in 4.2% of the normal group. The rate of detectable HPV infection increased in exfoliated cervical cells during pregnancy. These results suggested that a few Japanese women with cytologically normal cervices were infected with HPV.