Identification of human papillomavirus DNA in cervical and vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia with molecularly cloned virus-specific DNA probes.

The presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA was identified in the tissues of cervical and vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia by Southern blot DNA hybridization under conditions of low stringency. The specific types of HPV present in the tissues were identified by using molecularly cloned types 1 through 6 (HPV-1 through HPV-6) HPV DNA probes under high-stringency conditions. All tissues of cervical and vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia analyzed contained HPV genomes. Fifteen of 19 samples (79%) contained HPV-6 DNA, and 10 of 19 samples (53%) HPV-3 DNA. Hybridization with HPV-1, HPV-2, HPV-4, and HPV-5 DNAs was also observed in several of the samples. Four of the samples did not hybridize with any of the probes tested (HPV-1 through HPV-6); yet, all showed hybridization with an HPV-EV DNA (a type 3-related DNA) probe under low-stringency conditions, indicating the presence of HPV types other than those belonging to HPV-1 through HPV-6.