Recent molecular virologic and immunologic studies have shown a relationship betwen human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and dysplasia of the uterine cervix. The significance of these observations is underscored by the fact that dysplasias are considered precursor lesions to cervical cancer. The overall specific aim of this proposal is to determine the feasibility of developing hybridization tests for diagnosis of HPV infection of these premalignant female genital tract neoplasms. It is lanned that these tests will consist of in situ hybridization on biopsies of cervical tissues. In situ or dot blot hybridization tests will be performed on exfoliated cervical cells in conjunction with the standard Papsmear. The Phase I portion of the proposal will consist of the feasibility of such hybridization reactions and to correlate the hybridization data of HPV type detection with the pathology of the lesion. Current Phase II plans will be a continuation of Phase I but employing a larger battery of HPV DNA probes and extension of the tests to the clinical environment.
