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The widespread use of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has improved the laboratory diagnosis and understanding of viral etiology of different clinical syndromes. Modifications to the basic PCR technique have been used to increase the specificity of viral detection, and/or to allow the identification of more than one virus in a single tube. In this article we discuss the theoretical and practical basis of the development and optimization of multiplex PCR (M-PCR) systems and review the application and potential of this technique for detection and analysis of human viruses of clinical importance.

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Oral condyloma acuminatum is a papillomatous lesion that is transmitted most often sexually and associated with the human papilloma virus (HPV). This report describes a case of a 30-year-old woman with multiple oral condylomata acuminata, located on the lateral edges and on the dorsum of the tongue. The incisional biopsy showed histological features compatible with those of condyloma acuminatum. E6 viral oncogene of HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 33 was identified by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The lesions were removed by radiodissecation and treated topically with trichloroacetic acid (80% and 40%) and interferon-alpha-2a. No recurrence was evident 8 months after the treatment. We report this case not only for the simultaneous presence of low-and highrisk HPV types in one patient and the rarity of the condition, but also for the good res-ponse to the combined surgical and medical treatment that we observed.

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are the most common sexually transmitted viruses in the world. HPVs are responsible for a large array of diseases, both benign and malignant. Interest in HPVs has increased greatly in recent years because of evidences that infection with these viruses is etiopatlzologically related to the development of precancerous lesions of the cervix. More recently, the use of the molecular virology methods to establish HPV infection, and prospective epidemiologic studies has demonstrated convincingly that HPVs play a central role in the vast majority of cervical cancer cases. Therefore, it is important to understand the natural history of HPV infection, molecular mechanisms of viral regulation, factors that may influence transmissibility, persistence, and/or progression to neoplasia. This review discusses some molecular aspects of the HPV nature, as well as the present status of the specific viral diagnosis, treatment and prevention of HPV infection and disease. Currently, many studies focus on the HPV life cycle and intimate pathogenic mechanism(s) of HPV-produced diseases. Nevertheless, prospective studies are needed to gain more relevant knowledge, which can be used to combat the infection more effectively. In the same time, the advent of modern molecular techniques has led to rapid advances in the HPV diagnostic and prognostic capabilities.

Although high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is

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Here we present a review of the single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) method, which allows DNA fragments that have been amplified with specific primers and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to be scanned rapidly for any sequence variation. The general principles of the method are described, as well as the major factors that must be considered in developing an optimal SSCP strategy, namely the length of the PCR fragment and the temperature of the gel run. Options for sample denaturing gel characteristics and detection of DNA fragments are discussed. The application of these techniques to screen for mutations in the various viral genes is also described.