Detection of HPV DNA in cervical carcinomas by PCR and hybrid capture assay.

HPV DNA was detected in exfoliated cervical cells of 73% (85/116) cervical cancer patients by PCR using HPV consensus primers and by hybrid capture assay (HC II) (Digene Corp., USA) in 77 of the 85 cases found HPV positive by PCR. Presence of HPV 16/18 DNA were investigated in the 79 cases by PCR using type specific primers. HPV 16 was detected in 31 (39%) patients, HPV 18 in 7 (8.8%), both HPV 16 and 18 in 19 (24%) and HPVs other than 16/18 in 22 (27.8%) cases. Age and clinical stages had no significant effect on HPV prevalence. Double infection of HPV 16 and 18 was significantly (p<0.05) high in the older patients (56 years or more) compared to younger group. Results indicated that cervical cancers in India are strongly associated with high-risk type HPV infection. HC II assays and PCR results for detection of HPV in cervical smears were comparable.

Human papillomavirus infection among Indian mothers and their infants.

OBJECTIVE: Several studies have demonstrated that infants can acquire human papillomavirus (HPV) infection at birth from their mothers. The aim of the present investigation was to determine prevalence of HPV infection among pregnant women and evaluate the extent of perinatal transmission of HPVs to infants. METHODS: The study included 135 pregnant women and their infants. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to detect HPV DNA in cervical cells of the women and buccal cells of the infants. RESULTS: HPVs detected were genotyped by PCR using type specific primers. HPV DNA was identified in 38 mothers (28.14%, 38/135) and 14 babies (10.37%, 14/135). The prevalence rate of HPV type 16 was highest both in HPV positive maternal (63.15%, 24/38) and baby samples (85.71%, 12/14). At birth, the frequency of HPV transmission from infected mothers to their infants was 18.42% (7/38). The proportion of infants with HPV infection delivered by cesarean section was 78.57% (11/14). CONCLUSION: Cesarean section was not found protective for infants against perinatal HPV transmission. Infection in the infants was cleared within one year. This is the first report of its kind from India.