Detection of papillomavirus nucleic acids in genital precancers with the in situ hybridization technique.

Recent advances in in situ hybridization technology have made it possible to analyze the distribution of human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 nucleic acid sequences in genital neoplasms. This review addresses the methodology of in situ hybridization as it relates to the detection of HPV sequences in precancerous lesions and explores the potential value of this technique for both detecting HPV sequences in tissue sections and analyzing HPV gene functions that may be important in the genesis of squamous neoplasia.