Abstract
The purpose of this study was to clarify the usefulness of detection methods for human papilloma virus (HPV) using cell specimens and possibilities for their clinical application. A total of 149 women who visited Tottori University Hospital were examined in the present study. Using cell specimens, immunohistochemistry (ICH), in situ hybridization (ISH), Dot blot, Southern blot, and polymerase chain reaction were carried out. In addition, the incidence of HPV infection, detected by only smear, was determined in a total of 47, 868 women who received cancer mass screening in Tottori Prefecture. The present study revealed both advantages and disadvantages of each method. Retrospectice studies with ICH or ISH showed that of 11 patients with dysplasia and positive HPV, 9 had had previous infections with normal smears. The follow-up study on women who were HPVpositive showed that HPV disappeared within one year in 3 of 4 cases with normal smears. If the above-mentioned methods were to applied in mass screening, the incidence of HPV detection would increase to more than 100 times what it is using only smears. In conclusion, although it is possible to detect HPV with cell specimens, our results suggest that certain problems with these detection methods exist in women with normal smears.
