If PCR is carried out on a sample using primers specific for HPV 16 and no DNA is amplified, can a person assume that they are HPV-free?
A) No. The person likely does not have HPV16 but they may have another HPV strain.
B) Yes. If there is no HPV16 present, there definitely won't be any other strain of HPV present either.
C) Yes. Primers specific for HPV 16 would also detect all other strains of HPV, so a negative test indicates the person is free of any HPV.
D) No. The negative result simply indicates that HPV is not a DNA virus but is in fact an RNA virus.
E) No. The negative result simply indicates that HPV is not a DNA virus but is in fact a bacterium which has a different type of DNA.

Question

If PCR is carried out on a sample using primers specific for HPV 16 and no DNA is amplified, can a person assume that they are HPV-free?
A) No. The person likely does not have HPV16 but they may have another HPV strain.
B) Yes. If there is no HPV16 present, there definitely won't be any other strain of HPV present either.
C) Yes. Primers specific for HPV 16 would also detect all other strains of HPV, so a negative test indicates the person is free of any HPV.
D) No. The negative result simply indicates that HPV is not a DNA virus but is in fact an RNA virus.
E) No. The negative result simply indicates that HPV is not a DNA virus but is in fact a bacterium which has a different type of DNA.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

PCR using primers specific to HPV 16 only detects the presence or absence of that particular strain. It is possible that the person may have another strain of HPV that was not targeted by these specific primers. The absence of HPV16 does not mean the absence of all strains of HPV.

If PCR Is Carried Out on a Sample Using Primers