Simultaneous detection of antigens and specific DNA sequences of human papillomavirus in uterine cervical biopsy specimens. Description of a double-labelling technique.

We studied 70 uterine cervical biopsy specimens with a histological diagnosis compatible with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. We carried out immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization techniques and selected 22 specimens that had given a positive result with both techniques. We then used a double-labelling technique (a combination of immunohisto-chemistry and in situ hybridization) to detect simultaneously viral antigens and specific gene sequences of HPV. With this technique we found three different cell types in the tissue: (1) cells with black nuclei, positive by immunohisto-chemistry and in situ hybridization; (2) cells with red nuclei, negative by immunohistochemistry and positive by in situ hybridization; and (3) cells with light blue nuclei, negative by both techniques. In this study we describe this technique; and we believe that the simultaneous detection of viral antigens and specific gene sequences of HPV may be very useful in the study of the virus-cell interaction.