Occurrence of human papillomavirus types 16 and 18 DNA in cervical carcinomas from Japan: age of patients and histological type of carcinomas.

We have detected by DNA hybridization human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18 DNA sequences in 19 and 3, respectively, out of 56 cervical carcinomas from Japan. Eighteen out of 19 HPV 16-positive specimens were from squamous cell carcinomas, whereas the three HPV 18-positive specimens were from a squamous cell carcinoma (1/50), an adenosquamous carcinoma (1/3), and an adenocarcinoma (1/3). The occurrence of HPV 16 DNA decreased in patients over 60 years old (less than or equal to 60 years, 15/34 (44%); 60 years less than, 4/22 (18%)) (P less than 0.05).