Detection of 14 High-Risk Human Papillomaviruses Using Digital LAMP Assays on a Self-Digitization Chip

Cervical cancer is the fourth-leading cause of cancer deaths among women worldwide and most cases occur in developing countries. Detection of high-risk (HR) HPV, the etiologic agent of cervical cancer, is a primary screening method for cervical cancer. However, the current gold standard for HPV detection, real-time PCR, is expensive, time-consuming, and instrumentation-intensive. A rapid, low-cost HPV detection method is needed for cervical cancer screening in low-resource settings. We previously developed a digital loop-mediated isothermal amplification (dLAMP) assay for rapid, quantitative detection of nucleic acids without the need for thermocycling. This assay employs a microfluidic self-digitization chip to automatically digitize a sample into an array of nanoliter wells in a simple assay format. Here we evaluate the dLAMP assay and self-digitization chip for detection of the commonly tested 14 high-risk HPVs in clinical samples. The dLAMP platform provided reliable genotyping and quantitative detection of the 14 high-risk HPVs with high sensitivity, demonstrating its potential for simple, rapid, and low-cost diagnosis of HPV infection.

Automated summary

Cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths among women in developing countries, highlighting the need for a rapid and low-cost HPV detection method for screening. The dLAMP assay and self-digitization chip demonstrated reliable genotyping and quantitative detection of 14 high-risk HPVs, showing potential for simple, rapid, and cost-effective diagnosis of HPV infection.