Human papillomavirus type 16/18 in uterine cervical adenocarcinoma in situ and adenocarcinoma. A study by in situ hybridization with biotinylated DNA probes.

The distribution of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA type 16/18 in the paraffin sections of 11 adenocarcinomas (AC), 4 adenocarcinomas in situ (AIS), and 2 adenosquamous carcinomas (AC/SCC) of the cervix was examined by in situ hybridization (ISH) with biotinylated DNA probes (B-probes). Four AC, four AIS, and one AC/SCC were positive. These results show that B-probes are an acceptable alternative to both ISH with radiolabeled probes and Southern blot hybridization (SBH), which are difficult to apply in routine pathologic laboratories. Cervical tissues infiltrated with endometrial AC were negative for HPV DNA 16/18, and it is suggested that the presence of HPV DNA 16/18 in uterine AC may be helpful in discriminating cervical AC from endometrial AC.