engleski

Molecular methods for papillomavirus detection and typing

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) belong to the family Papovaviridae. HPVs are strictly species specific and epitheliotropic ; they infect epithelial cells either of the skin or the anogenital and oropharyngeal mucosa. Until now, 130 HPV types have been identified and fully sequenced. Approximately 40 types infect the anogenital tract and a few types are found in anogenital cancer biopsy specimens, notably cervical cancer. HPV DNA has been identified in almost all-cervical cancer biopsies, among which HPV type 16 is found in more than 50% of cervical cancer cases worldwide. According to the recent epidemiological classification HPV types 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 68, 73 and 82 are considered viruses with high oncogenic potential (high risk – HR), while HPV types 26, 53 and 66 are probably oncogenic. In contrast to HR HPV, HPV types 6, 11, 40, 42, 43, 44, 54, 61, 70, 72, 81 and CP6108 are considered viruses with low oncogenic potential (low risk – LR). It is important to note that HPV infections are among the most common sexually transmitted infections and that precedes cervical cancer development by several years. Thus, cervical cancer could be prevented and treated if detected on time. Therefore, detection and typing is useful and important for the diagnosis of HPV associated diseases and management of women at risk. The molecular methods used for HPV testing are based on the method of hybridization (DNA/DNA or DNA/RNA), DNA amplification (polymerase chain reaction – PCR) or both. The PCR method is, actually, the most specific and the most sensitive for revealing the presence of otherwise undetectable quantities of HPV DNA. The method allows detection of wide spectrum of HPVs by using general (consensus) primers. The identification of HPV types may be realised either by hybridization with type-specific probes or by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of consensus PCR products or either by PCR using type-specific primers. Besides, the in house methods for HPV detection and typing that could be easily performed in a well-equipped molecular biology laboratory, there are several commercially available methods suitable for large scale HPV testing in clinical laboratories.

human papillomavirus; detection; typing

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