Simultaneous detection and typing strategy for human papillomaviruses based on PCR and restriction endonuclease mapping.

The aim of this study was to devise a simple and reliable method for simultaneous detection and typing of genital human papillomaviruses (HPVs). The method comprises three steps (i) amplification of sample DNA with the L1 consensus primers, (ii) digestion of PCR products with restriction endonuclease RsaI and (iii) hybridization of digested PCR products with a unique oligonucleotide probe that detects different fragments of the six most common genital HPV genotypes, namely, HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31 and 33. Seventeen clinical specimens were analyzed by this method and compared to Southern blot using full genomic HPV DNA probes and to PCR using type-specific probes. All three tests agreed with at least one HPV type; however, the new method identified more additional HPV types in cases of mixed infections.