Presence of human papillomavirus in genital tumors.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18 have been identified in two different human cervical carcinomas. The viral DNAs were molecularly cloned and used as probes to screen a large number of genital tumors by Southern blot analysis. HPV-16 or HPV-18 sequences, respectively, were found in a high percentage of cervical carcinomas, but only in a small number of condylomata acuminata or flat condylomas. The majority of the latter lesions, however, contained HPV-6 or HPV-11 sequences, respectively, which in contrast were detected only rarely in carcinomas in situ or invasively growing carcinomas. A similar distribution of the different papillomaviruses was observed when cell swabs taken from the cervix were tested by in situ hybridization.