title: Occurrence of multiple types of human papillomavirus in genital tract lesions. Analysis by in situ hybridization and the polymerase chain reaction.
abstract: More than 22 types of human papillomavirus (HPV) have been detected in genital tract squamous cell intraepithelial lesions. Seven of two hundred eighty-six (2.4%) genital tract tissues in which HPV DNA was detected by in situ hybridization contained two or more different HPV types. When analyzed by site, 5 of 204 (2.4%) of cervical intraepithelial lesions were infected by more than one type, compared with 2 of 82 (2.4%) of vulvar lesions. The rate for low-grade lesions was similar (5/218; 2.3%) to that for high-grade lesions (2/68; 2.9%). In contrast, two different HPV types were detected in 6/33 (18%) of tissues by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using type-specific primers for eight HPV types. It is concluded that infection by one HPV type is rarely associated with concurrent 'active' infection by a second HPV type, even though DNA of a different viral type can be detected by PCR in about one fifth of such cases. Further study is required to determine if an existing HPV infection can inhibit replication by a different HPV type.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, State University of New York, Stony Brook 11794.
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Nuovo
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Darfler
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Impraim
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Bromley
mesh_terms: D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D002577:Uterine Cervical Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D014845:Vulvar Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral