title: In situ hybridization with human papillomavirus using biotinylated DNA probes on archival cervical smears.
abstract: We report a method of in situ hybridization (ISH) of 10-year-old archival cervical smears with a cocktail of nick-translated human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA types 6, 11, 16, 18, and 31. The method, which does not require destaining, results in excellent preservation of morphological detail with only 2% cell loss. Methods of smear treatment and detection of the biotinylated probe with a multistep avidin-biotin-immunoperoxidase method are described. Biotinylated PBR 322 plasmid and biotinylated human DNA were used as negative and positive controls in each run. Twenty-nine of 50 smears (58%) showing changes consistent with CIN I-II were positive for HPV. Fourteen corresponding cervical biopsies were also studied by ISH, seven corresponding to HPV-positive smears and seven to HPV-negative smears. HPV DNA was demonstrated in six of seven biopsies (87%) from the positive group but none could be demonstrated in the negative group. We conclude that retrospective study can be performed on routine alcohol-fixed, Papanicolaou-stained cervical smears with biotinylated HPV probes with excellent cell preservation, minimal cell loss, and high degrees of specificity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10467.
authors.forename: X M
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Wieczorek
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Koss
mesh_terms: D001710:Biotin; D015344:DNA Probes, HPV / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000235:genetics; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics; D014626:Vaginal Smears
chemical_list: D015344:DNA Probes, HPV; D001710:Biotin