Comparison of Virapap filter hybridization with polymerase chain reaction and Southern blot hybridization methods for detection of human papillomavirus in tonsillar and pharyngeal cancers.

A method using a commercial dot filter hybridization kit, Virapap, was compared with Southern blot hybridization and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18 in pharyngeal and tonsillar cancers of 12 patients as well as tonsillar biopsies from 28 patients with chronic tonsillitis. Concordant results between Virapap and PCR, Virapap and Southern hybridization, and PCR and Southern hybridization methods were obtained respectively in 41.7%, 58.3% and 83.3% of the cancer cases, and 67.9%, 67.9% and 85.7% of the control (tonsillitis) cases. Virapap false-positive results were found in 5 cancer cases and 5 control cases. Although the Virapap method is reported to be useful for detecting HPV in gynecological tissues, this method cannot be recommended for the detection of HPV in pharyngeal and tonsillar cancers.