PCR detection and typing of human papilloma virus DNA in squamous carcinoma of the cervix in a cohort of Sri Lankan women

To determine the prevalence of human papilloma virus (HPV) types 16 and 18 in squamous carcinomas of the cervix in Sri Lanka. Case control study. One gynaecological unit at the Cancer Institute, Maharagama, Sri Lanka. 15 patients with squamous carcinoma of the cervix, and 15 age matched controls with histologically normal cervices. DNA was extracted from paraffin embedded cervical biopsies. Polymerase chain reaction was performed on extracted DNA employing primers specific for HPV types 16 and 18. HPV 16 DNA was detected in 11 out of 15 cervical cancer biopsies (73.3%), in comparison with 3 out of 15 normal controls (20%). HPV 18 was detected in 3 out of 15 cervical cancer biopsies, but not in a single control biopsy. Despite the limited number of cases in this cohort, this study supports the strong association between HPV 16 and squamous cancer of the cervix.