Persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) types is necessary for the development of high-grade cervical dysplasia and cervical carcinoma. The presence of HPV DNA in the blood of cervical cancer patients has been reported; however, whether HPV DNA is detectable in the blood of patients with pre-invasive cervical disease is unclear.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, L4000 Women's Hospital, 1500 E. Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0276, USA. divya@med.umich.edu