Comparison of the INNO-LiPA and PapType assays for detection of human papillomavirus in archival vulva dysplasia and/or neoplasia tissue biopsy specimens

INNO-LiPA and PapType human papillomavirus (HPV) genotyping assays were compared for detection of HPV genotypes on archival vulvar tissue. The INNO-LiPA assay detected 49 HPV-16 infections, compared with 47 detected by the PapType assay. The INNO-LiPA assay detected amplifiable DNA in 59 (91%) biopsy specimens, compared with 57 (88%) specimens for which amplifiable DNA was detected by the PapType assay. The two genotyping assays were highly comparable. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is involved in the etiology of a number of human mucosal cancers, particularly those of the anogenital region (2, 15). With the recent introduction and further development of HPV prophylactic vaccines (5, 8), ep-idemiological studies are needed to determine the prevalence of HPV genotypes present in HPV-related cancer and precan-cerous lesions. This requires evaluation of HPV retrospectively by using archival tissues. Challenges often arise when examin-ing HPV genotypes in paraffin-embedded tissues. DNA can degrade due to extensive or inappropriate storage conditions