RECENT MOLECULAR VIROLOGIC AND IMMUNOLOGIC STUDIES HAVE SHOWN A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS (HPV) INFECTION AND DYSPLASIA OF THE UTERINE CERVIX.

RECENT MOLECULAR VIROLOGIC AND IMMUNOLOGIC STUDIES HAVE SHOWN A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN 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. THESE TESTS WILL CONSIST OFIN SITU HYBRIDIZATION ON BIOPSIES OF CERVICAL TISSUE. IN SITU OR DOT BLOT HYBRIDIZATION TESTS WILL BE PERFORMED ON EXFOLIATED CERVICAL CELLS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE STANDARD PAP SMEAR. PHASE I STUDIES WILL DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF SUCH HYBRIDIZATION REACTIONS AND CORRELATE THE HYBRIDIZATION DATA OF HPV DETECTION WITH THE PATHOLOGY OF THE LESION. PHASE II PLANS WILL BE A CONTINUATION OF PHASE I BUT WILL EMPLOY A LARGER BATTERY OF HPV DNA PROBES AND EXTENSION OF THE TESTS TO THE CLINICAL ENVIRONMENT.