Two Color Multiplexing and Typing of Human Papillomavirus Types 16,18 and 45 on LightCycler

Abstract

Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer in women worldwide [1,2]. Human Papillomaviruses (HPV) have been identified as the most important viral group associated with benign and malignant neoplasia in humans [3]. Several studies have demonstrated that infection with certain HPV types may progress over a period of years through the various stages of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) to invasive squamous carcinoma [4,5,6]. There are more than 80 different HPV types that have been identified [7,8]. Currently, there are more than 20 HPV types that have been found linked to cervical cancer [9]. This group is further subdivided into three categories designated as low, medium and high to differentiate between the relative risk for developing cervical carcinoma from any particular HPV type infection [10]. From the high risk category HPV 16 ranks first followed by HPV 18 in being found at a higher frequency in CIN and cervical carcinomas [1,11]. As of today, HPV 45 is considered a medium/high risk type but there is supporting evidence indicating that HPV 45 follows HPV 18 in frequency and that it should be classified as a high risk type [1, 12].