Affiliations: VU University medical center, Department of Pathology,
Section Molecular Pathology, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The
Netherlands
Note: [] Corresponding author: Prof. Dr. C.J.L.M. Meijer, Dept.
Pathology, VU University medical center, PO Box 7057, 1007MB Amsterdam, The
Netherlands. Tel.: +31 20 4444070; Fax: +31 20 4442964; E-mail:
cjlm.meijer@vumc.nl
Abstract: Given the causal relation between a persistent high-risk human
papillomavirus (hrHPV) infection and the development of high-grade cervical
intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and cervical cancer, hrHPV testing has been
advocated in addition to cytology for the detection of clinically relevant
cervical lesions. HrHPV testing is thought to improve cervical screening
algorithms, the management of women with cytologically equivocal smears, and
the management of women treated for high grade CIN. In this chapter we discuss
different methods for HPV detection and genotyping and their respective
applications.
Keywords: Human papillomavirus, polymerase chain reaction, reverse hybridization, hybrid capture, real-time PCR, cervical carcinoma, NASBA, DNA probes, epidemiology
