Patent ID: 7524631

Claim:
An assay for determining malignant transformation of cervical cells, the assay comprising the steps of: (a) obtaining cervical cells from an individual; (b) preparing the cervical cells as a liquid-based cytology (LBC) specimen; (c) hybridizing the LBC cytology specimen using oligonucleotides specific for HPV E6, E7 mRNA; (d) quantitating expression of HPV E6, E7 mRNA in the cervical cells; and (e) identifying cervical cells that express 200 or more copies of HPV E6, E7 mRNA per cell, wherein malignant transformation of the cervical cells is indicated by expression of 200 or more copies of HPV E6, E7 mRNA per cell and wherein the percentage of cells that express 200 or more copies of HPV E6, E7 mRNA per cell is quantitated.