Human papillomavirus testing for triage of women with low‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesions

Low‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) is a common cytologic finding in cervical screening, yet only about 10–20% have significant histologic abnormalities and these are almost always positive for high‐risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV). This analysis aims to clarify the role of hrHPV DNA testing in the triage of women with LSIL cytology. In the ATHENA screening trial, we examined 1,084 cases of LSIL, of which 925 had an evaluable biopsy, to determine the extent to which hrHPV testing can identify those patients who have precursor lesions in need of immediate clinical referral and those who have changes more likely to regress spontaneously. Overall, 71.2% of LSIL cases were hrHPV positive, but the prevalence was age dependent, with only 56.1% in women ≥40 years. Among women with LSIL, 11.6% (107/925) had a cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse (CIN2+) histologic diagnosis and, of these, only nine were hrHPV negative. For CIN3+, 91.7% (44/48) of women with LSIL were hrHPV positive. The negative predictive value of hrHPV testing for CIN3+ in LSIL was 100% for women aged ≥40 years. Women who were HPV16 positive had a higher positive predictive value for CIN2+ (25.4%) than those who were positive for 12 other pooled hrHPV types (11.5%). Testing for hrHPV in women with LSIL is effective in identifying high‐grade cervical lesions, thereby avoiding unnecessary referrals to colposcopy and potential over‐treatment of non‐progressive lesions, especially for women aged ≥40 years.     

Interlaboratory variation in the performance of liquid‐based cytology: Insights from the ATHENA trial

Although it is recognized that cervical cytology is highly subjective, and that there is considerable interlaboratory variation in how slides are evaluated, little is known as to how this impacts the performance of cytology. In the ATHENA trial, liquid‐based cytology specimens from 46,887 eligible women ≥21 years of age were evaluated at four large regional US laboratories, providing a unique opportunity to evaluate the impact of interlaboratory variations on the performance of cervical cytology. All women with abnormal cytology (atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance or higher) were referred to colposcopy, as were all high‐risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV)–positive women ≥25 years of age and a random subset of those ≥25 years of age who were negative by both hrHPV testing and cytology. Sociodemographics, risk factors for cervical disease, and prevalence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) were similar across the laboratories. There were considerable differences among the laboratories both in overall cytological abnormal rates, ranging from 3.8 to 9.9%, and in sensitivity of cytology to detect CIN grade 2 or worse (CIN2+), from 42.0 to 73.0%. In contrast, the hrHPV positivity rate varied only from 10.9 to 13.4%, and the sensitivity of hrHPV testing from 88.2 to 90.1%. These observations suggest that hrHPV testing without cytology should be considered as the initial method for cervical cancer screening.     

Specimen self‐collection and HPV DNA screening in a pilot study of 100,242 women

Since cervical cancer remains common in Mexico despite an established cytology screening program, the Ministry of Health recently introduced pilot front‐line HPV testing into the Mexican cervical cancer screening program (CCSP). Here, we present the key field performance metrics of this population‐based study. High‐risk HPV DNA (hrHPV) testing was conducted on self‐collected vaginal specimens from 100,242 women aged 25–75 years residing in Morelos State. All hrHPV positive women and a random sample of 3.2% (n = 2,864) of hrHPV negative participants were referred for colposcopic examination. The main disease endpoint of interest was cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or higher (CIN2+). We calculated relative risk, positive predictive value and negative predictive value adjusted for screening test verification bias. The overall prevalence of hrHPV was 10.8% (95%CI 10.6–11.0). Women positive for hrHPV had a relative risk of 15.7 for histologically detectable CIN2+. The adjusted positive predictive value of the hrHPV test was 2.4% (95%CI 2.1–2.7); whereas the adjusted negative predictive value was 99.8% (95%CI 99.8–99.9). These findings suggest that large‐scale vaginal hrHPV testing in a middle‐income country can identify women at greater risk of advanced cervical abnormalities in a programmatically meaningful way but care is warranted to ensure that disease not detectable at colposcopy is kept to a minimum. PASS shows areas that need improvement and sets the stage for wider use of hrHPV screening of self‐collected vaginal specimens in Mexico.     

Comparative performance of novel self‐sampling methods in detecting high‐risk human papillomavirus in 30,130 women not attending cervical screening

We determined whether the participation rate for a brush‐based cervicovaginal self‐sampling device is noninferior to the participation rate for a lavage‐based one for testing for hrHPV (high‐risk human papillomavirus). Additionally, positivity rates for hrHPV, the detection rates for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grades 2 and 3 or worse (CIN2+/3+), and user comfort were compared. A total of 35,477 non‐responders of the regular cervical screening program aged 33–63 years were invited to participate. Eligible women (n = 30,130) were randomly assigned to receive either a brush‐based or a lavage‐based device, and a questionnaire for reporting user convenience. Self‐sampling responders testing hrHPV‐positive were invited for a physician‐taken sample for cytology; triage‐positive women were referred for colposcopy. A total of 5,218 women participated in the brush‐based sampling group (34.6%) and 4809 women in the lavage‐based group (31.9%), i.e. an absolute difference of 2.7% (95%CI 1.8–4.2). The hrHPV‐positivity rates in the two groups were identical (8.3%, relative risk (RR) 0.99, 95%CI 0.87–1.13). The detection of CIN2+ and CIN3+ in the brush group (2.0% for CIN2+; 1.3% for CIN3+) was similar to that in the lavage group (1.9% for CIN2+; 1.0% for CIN3+) with a cumulative RR of 1.01, 95%CI 0.83–1.24 for CIN2+ and 1.25, 95%CI 0.92–1.70 for CIN3+. The two self‐sampling devices performed similarly in user comfort. In conclusion, offering a brush‐based device to non‐responders is noninferior to offering a lavage‐based device in terms of participation. The two self‐sampling methods are equally effective in detecting hrHPV, CIN2+/CIN3+ and are both well accepted.     

Good performance of p16/ki‐67 dual‐stained cytology for surveillance of women treated for high‐grade CIN

Women treated for high‐grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) are at risk of recurrent CIN Grade 2 or worse (rCIN2+). Currently, posttreatment monitoring is performed using cytology or cytology/high‐risk (hr)HPV cotesting. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of p16/Ki‐67 dual‐stained cytology (p16/Ki‐67) for posttreatment monitoring. Three hundred and twenty‐three women treated for high‐grade CIN in the SIMONATH study underwent close surveillance by cytology, hrHPV and DNA methylation marker testing up to 12 months posttreatment. Histological endpoints were ascertained by colposcopy with biopsy at 6 and/or 12 months. p16/Ki‐67 dual‐staining was performed on residual liquid‐based cytology samples obtained at, or shortly before biopsy collection. Clinical performance estimates of cytology, hrHPV, p16/Ki‐67 testing and combinations thereof for the detection of rCIN2+ were determined and compared to each other. Sensitivity of p16/Ki‐67 for rCIN2+ (69.2%) was nonsignificantly lower than that of cytology (82.1%; ratio 0.84, 95% CI: 0.71–1.01), but significantly lower than that of hrHPV testing (84.6%; ratio 0.82, 95% CI: 0.68–0.99). Specificity of p16/Ki‐67 for rCIN2+ (90.4%) was significantly higher compared to both cytology (70.8%; ratio 1.28, 95% CI: 1.19–1.37) and hrHPV testing (76.2%; ratio 1.19, 95% CI: 1.12–1.26). Overall, hrHPV testing showed very high sensitivity, along with a good specificity. When considering cotesting, combined p16/Ki‐67/hrHPV testing showed rCIN2+ sensitivity comparable to cytology/hrHPV cotesting (87.2% vs. 89.7%; ratio 0.97, 95% CI: 0.92–1.03), but with significantly increased specificity (74.2% vs. 58.1%; ratio 1.28, 95% CI: 1.19–1.38). Thus, when considered in combination with hrHPV, p16/Ki‐67 might be an attractive approach for surveillance of women treated for high‐grade CIN.     

Combined CADM1 and MAL promoter methylation analysis to detect (pre-)malignant cervical lesions in high-risk HPV-positive women

Given the lower specificity for high-grade cervical lesions of high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) testing compared to cytology, additional triage testing for hrHPV test-positive women is needed to detect high-grade cervical lesions. Here, we tested whether combined methylation analysis for cell adhesion molecule 1 (CADM1) and T-lymphocyte maturation associated protein (MAL), both functionally involved in cervical carcinogenesis, could serve as such a triage marker. Four quantitative methylation-specific PCRs (qMSP), two for CADM1 (regions M12 and M18) and MAL (regions M1 and M2) each, were applied to 261 cervical tissue specimens ranging from no neoplasia to carcinoma. When qMSPs were combined and positivity for at least one of the qMSPs in the combination was taken into account, the highest positivity rates for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 (CIN3) lesions (97%) and squamous cell- and adeno-carcinomas (99%) were obtained by combining a single CADM1 marker with a single MAL marker. Subsequent qMSP analysis of 70 GP5+/6+-PCR hrHPV-positive scrapings revealed that a two-marker panel consisting of CADM1-M18 and MAL-M1 was most discriminative, detecting 90% of women with CIN3 (n = 30), whereas it showed a positive result in only 13.5% of women without cervical disease (n = 40). Finally, we applied hrHPV GP5+/6+-PCR testing followed by CADM1-M18/MAL-M1 methylation analysis to a cohort of 79 women visiting the outpatient colposcopy clinic. hrHPV testing revealed a sensitivity of 97% and a specificity of 33% for CIN3+. Additional CADM1-M18/MAL-M1 methylation analysis on the hrHPV-positive women increased the specificity to 78% with a sensitivity of 70%. In conclusion, the methylation marker panel CADM1-M18 and MAL-M1 may serve as an alternative molecular triage tool for hrHPV-positive women.     

Assessment of reflex human papillomavirus DNA testing in patients with atypical endocervical cells on cervical cytology

BACKGROUND: Reflex human papillomavirus (HPV) testing for atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) has improved the sensitivity and specificity in detecting high-grade squamous dysplasia (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia [CIN]2+). However, to the authors' knowledge there are no guidelines for performing reflex HPV testing in women with atypical endocervical cells (AEC) before colposcopy. This report is of a 5-year experience with reflex HPV testing in women with AEC and assessment of the potential role of reflex HPV testing in guiding subsequent colposcopy-directed cervical biopsy/curettage in a large tertiary care hospital setting. METHODS: All AEC cases cytologically diagnosed from July 2001 to June 2006 were retrieved from the Cleveland Clinic database. The histopathologic diagnoses and the results of HPV testing using the Hybrid Capture 2 (HC-II) method were reviewed. The most severe histopathologic diagnosis was recorded. RESULTS: Of a total 332,470 Papanicolaou (Pap) tests performed, 317 cases of AEC had histopathologic follow-up and reflex testing for high-risk HPV. Histopathologic examination of the 64 HPV-positive AEC cases revealed 18 cases of endocervical adenocarcinoma in situ/adenocarcinoma (AIS+) and 22 cases of CIN2+. Among 253 of the HPV-negative AEC women, AIS+ was found in only 3 cases and CIN2+ in 1 case. Cervical AIS+ was found in 28% of the HPV-positive AEC patients and in only 0.9% of the HPV-negative patients (P<.0001). When the significant glandular (AIS+) and squamous (CIN2+) lesions were combined, 62.5% of the lesions were detected in HPV-positive AEC cases compared with 1.6% in the HPV-negative AEC cases (P<.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Because of a high sensitivity (91.0%) and high specificity (91.2%) in detecting significant cervical lesions, reflex HPV testing for cytologic diagnosis of AEC appears to be a useful ancillary tool in the selection of high-risk patients for colposcopy.     

Histopathology of Women with “Atypical Squamous Cells Cannot Exclude High-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion” (ASC-H) Smears

Objectives: To evaluate prevalence of underlying significant pathologies among women with cervical smearsrated as ‘atypical squamous cells cannot exclude high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (ASC-H)’, as well asassociated risk factors. Methods: Medical records were reviewed of all consecutive women with ASC-H smears whohad undergone colposcopy at Srinagarind Hospital from January 2008 to July 2016. Significant pathology resultsincluded cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2-3, adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS), endometrial hyperplasia, andcancer of any original site. Result: During the study period, 133 women with ASC-H were reviewed. The mean agewas 45.3 years (range 21-72). The histopathologic results for the 133 women were as follows: no lesions (58; 43.6%),CIN 1 (34; 25.6%), CIN 2-3 (33; 24.8%), AIS (2; 1.5%), and cervical cancer (6; 4.5%). The overall rate of significantpathology was 30.8% (95% confidence interval, 22.9%-38.8%). Women younger than 40 years old carried a higherrisk of harboring significant lesions when compared to older women (41.7% versus 27.8%, respectively). There wasno significant impact of parity and menopausal status on the risk of significant pathology results. Conclusion: Therate of significant histopathologies among women with ASC-H smears in this study was approximately 31% and theassociated risk factor was patient age.     

Reflex Human Papillomavirus Test Results as an Option for the Management of Korean Women With Atypical Squamous Cells Cannot Exclude High‐Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion

Background.

Current guidelines recommend initial colposcopy with biopsy regardless of human papillomavirus (HPV) test results in women with atypical squamous cells, cannot exclude high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (ASC-H). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the value of HPV testing in women with ASC-H based on colposcopic pathology results.

Materials and Methods.

A multicenter cross-sectional study was carried out at three academic hospitals and involved 40,847 Korean women who underwent cervical cancer screening with cytology and HPV tests with or without subsequent colposcopic biopsies between January 2007 and December 2013.

Results.

ASC-H was diagnosed in 276 women (0.7%). Only 6 of 68 (8.8%) women with ASC-H who were HPV negative had cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade ≥2 (CIN ≥2) lesions, whereas 47.4% of the women with ASC-H who were HPV positive had CIN ≥2 lesions. No cases of invasive cervical cancer were diagnosed among women with ASC-H who were HPV negative. Logistic regression analysis was performed using the group with normal Papanicolaou test results and HPV-negative status as the reference group. Women with ASC-H who were HPV positive had a significantly increased risk of CIN ≥2 lesions, whereas no significant increase was observed in patients with ASC-H and HPV-negative status.

Conclusion.

If the result of the HPV test was negative, the risk of CIN ≥2 lesions in Korean women with ASC-H cytology was low. Reflex HPV testing should be an option for the management of women with cytology showing ASC-H to decrease unnecessary colposcopic biopsies, which are expensive and invasive.

Implications for Practice:

Current American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology guidelines recommend universal colposcopy for the management of women with atypical squamous cells, cannot exclude high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (ASC-H) on cytology, regardless of human papillomavirus (HPV) test results. The present study suggested that HPV cotesting in patients with ASC-H cytology can provide more detailed and useful information regarding the risk of high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) lesions and the need for further treatment. When the result of the HPV test was negative, the risk of CIN lesions of grade ≥2 in women with ASC-H cytology was low. Consequently, reflex HPV testing, rather than immediately performance of invasive and expensive colposcopy with biopsy, should be an option for the management of women with ASC-H.     

Post‐treatment CIN: Randomised clinical trial using hrHPV testing for prediction of residual/recurrent disease

We investigated in a randomised clinical trial whether addition of hrHPV testing (high‐risk human papillomavirus) to cytological follow‐up after treatment for high‐grade CIN (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2/3) can lead to a better selection of women at risk for residual/recurrent CIN. We included 210 women with high‐grade CIN undergoing treatment in outpatient clinics in The Netherlands. Follow‐up was based on cytology alone and cytology combined with hrHPV detection. Our primary outcome measurement was improving specificity for residual/recurrent CIN after treatment. Secondary, we compared health‐care costs and impact of individual hrHPV type on the risk of residual/recurrent CIN. Follow‐up by abnormal cytology alone (6, 12 and 24 months after treatment according to the Dutch protocol) showed a lower specificity for detection of residual/recurrent CIN than follow‐up by abnormal cytology and presence of hrHPV (80 vs. 91%, relative risk 0.87 (95% CI 0.77–0.99)). Both methods showed no significant difference in sensitivity ((86 vs. 100%) RR 0.86 (95% CI 0.63–1.16)). Comparing different post hoc modifications in the strategy of combined testing showed similar test characteristics when low‐risk women (normal cytology and hrHPV negative at 6 months) omitted the 12 months visit (specificity 91%, p = 1.00 z = 0.00). Prediction of residual/recurrent CIN by typing of hrHPV could not be confirmed. Total health‐care costs using cytology and hrHPV testing during follow‐up decreased when low‐risk women omit the 12 months visit. Follow‐up after treatment for high‐grade CIN can be improved by combining cytology with hrHPV testing. We advise combined cytology and hrHPV testing at 6, 12 and 24 months after treatment. Low‐risk women may omit the 12 months visit, resulting in cost reduction. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

High‐risk HPV testing on self‐sampled versus clinician‐collected specimens: A review on the clinical accuracy and impact on population attendance in cervical cancer screening

This review elaborates on the accuracy and feasibility of human papillomavirus (HPV) self‐sampling, i.e., offering self‐sampling of (cervico‐)vaginal cell material by women themselves in nonclinical settings for high‐risk HPV (hrHPV) detection in the laboratory, for cervical screening. To that end a bibliographic database search (PubMed) was performed to identify studies (published between January 1992 and January 2012) that compared clinical accuracy of HPV testing on self‐sampled material with that of cytology or HPV testing on clinician‐taken samples, and studies comparing response to offering HPV self‐sampling with a recall invitation. Overall, hrHPV testing on self‐samples appeared to be at least as, if not more, sensitive for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse (CIN2+) as cytology on clinician‐obtained cervical samples, though often less specific. In most studies, hrHPV testing on self‐ and clinician‐sampled specimens is similarly accurate with respect to CIN2+ detection. Variations in clinical performance likely reflect the use of different combinations of collection devices and HPV tests. Because it is known that underscreened women are at increased risk of cervical cancer, targeting non‐attendees of the screening program could improve the effectiveness of cervical screening. In developed countries offering self‐sampling has shown to be superior to a recall invitation for cytology in re‐attracting original non‐attendees into the screening program. Additionally, self‐testing has shown to facilitate access to cervical screening for women in low resource areas. This updated review of the literature suggests that HPV self‐sampling could be an additional strategy that can improve screening performance compared to current cytology‐based call‐recall programs.     

Prevalence of types 16 and 33 is increased in high-risk human papillomavirus positive women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse

High-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) types are causally related to cervical cancer and its high-grade precursor lesions. The risk posed by the different hrHPV types for the development of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse (> or =CIN2) needs to be established. Here, we present the hrHPV type-distribution in relation to cytology and histology for women participating in a cervical screening program. From 44,102 women who participated in a population-based cervical screening program in the Netherlands, 2,154 hrHPV GP5+/6+ PCR positive women were recruited to determine the distribution of 14 hrHPV types by reverse line blotting of GP5+/6+ PCR products. For each HPV type, associations with cytology and histologically confirmed > or =CIN2 were measured by odds ratios. HPV types 16 and 33 were more prevalent in women, amongst those containing a single hrHPV type, with moderate dyskaryosis or worse (>BMD) than in women with normal cytology, but only in case of underlying > or =CIN2 (OR 4.10, 95%CI 2.98-5.64 and OR 2.68, 95%CI 1.39-5.15, respectively). Similar results were obtained for women with double infections (OR 3.29, 95% CI 1.61-6.75 and OR 4.37, 95% CI 1.17-16.34). Coexisting types did not influence the prevalence of > or =CIN2 in HPV 16 or 33 positive women. The increased prevalence of type 16 and 33 in hrHPV positive women with > or =CIN2, compared to women with normal cytology, suggests that infection with these types confers an increased risk for development of > or =CIN2. Distinguishing these types may therefore have implications for future cervical screening strategies.     

Long‐term risk of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 or worse according to high‐risk human papillomavirus genotype and semi‐quantitative viral load among 33,288 women with normal cervical cytology

In this prospective cohort study, we estimated the long‐term risk of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 or cancer (CIN3+) by high‐risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) genotype and semi‐quantitative viral load at baseline among 33,288 women aged 14–90 years with normal baseline cytology. During 2002–2005, residual liquid‐based cervical cytology samples were collected from women screened for cervical cancer in Copenhagen, Denmark. Samples were HPV‐tested with Hybrid Capture 2 (HC2) and genotyped with INNO‐LiPA. Semi‐quantitative viral load was measured by HC2 relative light units in women with single hrHPV infections. The cohort was followed in a nationwide pathology register for up to 11.5 years. In women aged ≥30 years at baseline, the 8‐year absolute risk for CIN3+ following baseline detection of HPV16 was 21.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 18.0–25.6%). The corresponding risks for HPV18, HPV31, HPV33, and other hrHPV types, respectively, were 12.8% (95% CI: 7.6–18.0%), 11.3% (95% CI: 7.7–14.9%), 12.9% (95% CI: 7.0–18.8%) and 3.9% (95% CI: 2.7–5.2%). Similar absolute risk estimates were observed in women aged <30 years. Higher HPV16‐viral load was associated with increased risk of CIN3+ (hazard ratio = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.10–1.64, per 10‐fold increase in viral load). A similar trend, although statistically nonsignificant, was found for viral load of HPV18. The 8‐year absolute risk of CIN3+ in women with HPV16‐viral load ≥100.0 pg/ml was 30.2% (95% CI: 21.9–38.6%). Our results support that hrHPV genotyping during cervical cancer screening may help identify women at highest risk of CIN3+.     

Long-term protective effect of high-risk human papillomavirus testing in population-based cervical screening

We prospectively evaluated the 5-year predictive values of adding high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) testing to cytology for the detection of > or = cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)3 lesions in a population-based cohort of 2810 women. At baseline, nine (0.3%) women had prevalent lesions > or = CIN3, all being hrHPV positive. After 5 years of follow-up, four (6.5%) of the 62 hrHPV-positive women with normal cytology developed lesions > or = CIN3, vs only one (0.05%) of the 2175 hrHPV-negative women with normal cytology. High-risk human papillomavirus testing or combined screening revealed a much higher sensitivity, at the cost of a small decrease in specificity, and a higher negative predictive value for the detection of lesions > or = CIN3 till the next screening round (5 years) than cytology alone.     

The APTIMA HPV assay versus the hybrid capture 2 test in triage of women with ASC‐US or LSIL cervical cytology: A meta‐analysis of the diagnostic accuracy

Testing for DNA of 13 high‐risk HPV types with the Hybrid Capture 2 (HC2) test has consistently been shown to perform better in triage of women with cervical cytology results showing atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC‐US) but often not in triage of low‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) detected in cervical cancer screening. In a meta‐analysis, we compared the accuracy of the APTIMA HPV test, which identifies RNA of 14 high‐risk HPV types, to HC2 for the triage of women with ASC‐US or LSIL. Literature search‐targeted studies where the accuracy of APTIMA HPV and HC2 for detection of underlying CIN2/3+ was assessed concomitantly including verification of all cases of ASC‐US and LSIL. HSROC (Hierarchical Summary ROC) curve regression was used to compute the pooled absolute and relative sensitivity and specificity. Eight studies, comprising 1,839 ASC‐US and 1,887 LSIL cases, were retrieved. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of APTIMA to triage ASC‐US to detect underlying CIN3 or worse was 96.2% (95% CI = 91.7–98.3%) and 54.9% (95% CI = 43.5–65.9%), respectively. APTIMA and HC2 showed similar pooled sensitivity; however, the specificity of the former was significantly higher (ratio: 1.19; 95% CI = 1.08–1.31 for CIN2+). The pooled sensitivity and specificity of APTIMA to triage LSIL were 96.7% (95% CI = 91.4–98.9%) and 38.7% (95% CI = 30.5–47.6%) for CIN3+. APTIMA was as sensitive as HC2 but more specific (ratio: 1.35; 95% CI = 1.11–1.66). Results were similar for detection of CIN2 or worse. In both triage of ASC‐US and LSIL, APTIMA is as sensitive but more specific than HC2 for detecting cervical precancer.     

阴道镜结果正常或低度病变妇女发生宫颈癌前病变的前瞻性风险分层研究

  目的  探讨细胞学、高危型人乳头瘤病毒（high risk human papillomavirus,hrHPV）分型对于阴道镜结果正常或低级别鳞状上皮内病变（low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion,LSIL）妇女的风险预测作用。  方法  基于1999年6月在山西省建立的宫颈癌筛查队列,以2005年随访时阴道镜结果为正常或低度病变的596例妇女为研究对象,于2010年和2014年进行随访。分析hrHPV阴性组、hrHPV阳性组、HPV16/18阳性组、细胞学LSIL以下组和细胞学LSIL及以上组发生宫颈上皮内瘤样病变2级及以上（cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse,CIN2+）的瞬时、5年和9年累积风险和相对危险度。  结果  细胞学LSIL以下组发生CIN2+的瞬时、5年和9年累积风险分别为0.2%、2.8%和4.2%,细胞学LSIL及以上组相应的风险分别为14.7%（RR=73.8,95% CI为9.7~561.5）、40.0%（RR=16.0,95% CI为8.2~31.1）和51.4%（RR=15.0,95% CI为8.3~27.0）。hrHPV阴性组发生CIN2+的瞬时风险、5年和9年累积风险较低,分别为0.6%、2.7%和3.8%,hrHPV阳性和HPV16/18阳性组发生CIN2+的风险逐渐升高,其中HPV16/18阳性组的相应风险分别为13.2%（RR=23.4,95% CI为5.1~106.9）、36.9%（RR=15.4,95% CI为6.9~34.3）和42.6%（RR=14.1,95% CI为6.8~29.2）。  结论  阴道镜结果正常或LSIL妇女,若细胞学结果为LSIL及以上或HPV16/18阳性,未来进展为高度宫颈癌前病变的风险较高,细胞学和HPV16/18分型可用于该人群的临床分流管理。      

Primary human papillomavirus DNA screening for cervical cancer prevention: Can the screening interval be safely extended?

Cytological screening has substantially decreased the cervical cancer incidence, but even better protection may be achieved by primary high‐risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) screening. In the Netherlands, five‐yearly cytological screening for women aged 30–60 years will be replaced by primary hrHPV screening in 2016. The new screening guidelines involve an extension of the screening interval from 5 to 10 years for hrHPV‐negative women aged 40 or 50 years. We investigated the impact of this program change on the lifetime cancer risks in women without an hrHPV infection at age 30, 35, 40, 45 or 50 years. The time to cancer was estimated using 14‐year follow‐up data from a population‐based screening intervention trial and the nationwide database of histopathology reports. The new screening guidelines are expected to lead to a reduced cervical cancer risk for all age groups. The average risk reduction was 34% and was smallest (25%) among women aged 35 years. The impact of hrHPV screening on the cancer risk was sensitive to the duration from cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2/3 (CIN2/3) to cancer; a small increase in the cancer risk was estimated for women aged 35 or 40 years in case a substantial proportion of CIN2/3 showed fast progression to cancer. Our results indicate that primary hrHPV screening with a ten‐yearly interval for hrHPV‐negative women of age 40 and beyond will lead to a further reduction in lifetime cancer risk compared to five‐yearly cytology, provided that precancerous lesions progress slowly to cancer.     

Long‐term HPV type‐specific risks for ASCUS and LSIL: A 14‐year follow‐up of a randomized primary HPV screening trial

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections result in a significant burden of low‐grade cervical lesions. Between 1997 and 2000, our randomized trial of primary HPV screening enrolled 12,527 women participating in population‐based screening. Women between 32 and 38 years of age (median: 34, interquartile range: 33–37) were randomized to HPV and cytology double testing (intervention arm, n = 6,257 enrolled, n = 5,888 followed‐up) or to cytology, with samples frozen for future HPV testing (control arm, n = 6,270 enrolled, n = 5,795 followed‐up). We estimated the HPV type‐specific, long‐term absolute risks (AR), and population attributable proportions (PAR) for cytological diagnoses of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) or low‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) and for histopathologically diagnosed cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 (CIN1). The women were followed using comprehensive, nationwide register‐based follow‐up. During a mean follow‐up time of 11.07 years, 886 ASCUS and LSIL lesions were detected, 448 in the intervention arm and 438 in the control arm. Poisson regression estimated the incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of low‐grade lesions by HPV type. The IRRs were strongly dependent on follow‐up time. The IRRs for ASCUS/LSIL associated with high‐risk HPV positivity were 18.6 (95% CI: 14.9–23.4) during the first screening round, 4.1 (95% CI: 2.8–6.2) during the second, 2.6 (95% CI: 1.7–4.1) during the third, and 1.1 (95% CI: 0.7–1.8) for >9 years of follow‐up, with similar declines seen for the individual types. Type 16 contributed consistently to the greatest proportion of ASCUS, LSIL, and CIN1 risk in the population (first screening round PAR: ASCUS: 15.5% (95% CI: 9.7–21.9), LSIL: 14.7% (95% CI: 8.0–20.9), and CIN1: 13.4% (95% CI: 3.2–22.5)), followed by type 31 [8.4% (95% CI: 4.2–12.5) for ASCUS to 17.3% (95% CI: 6.8–26.6) for CIN1]. In summary, most ASCUS/LSIL lesions associated with HPV infection are caused by new HPV infections and most lesions are found during the first screening round.     

Validation of a DNA methylation HPV triage classifier in a screening sample

High‐risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) DNA tests have excellent sensitivity for detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2 or higher (CIN2+). A drawback of hrHPV screening, however, is modest specificity. Therefore, hrHPV‐positive women might need triage to reduce adverse events and costs associated with unnecessary colposcopy. We compared the performance of HPV16/18 genotyping with a predefined DNA methylation triage test (S5) based on target regions of the human gene EPB41L3, and viral late gene regions of HPV16, HPV18, HPV31 and HPV33. Assays were run using exfoliated cervical specimens from 710 women attending routine screening, of whom 38 were diagnosed with CIN2+ within a year after triage to colposcopy based on cytology and 341 were hrHPV positive. Sensitivity and specificity of the investigated triage methods were compared by McNemar's test. At the predefined cutoff, S5 showed better sensitivity than HPV16/18 genotyping (74% vs 54%, P = 0.04) in identifying CIN2+ in hrHPV‐positive women, and similar specificity (65% vs 71%, P = 0.07). When the S5 cutoff was altered to allow equal sensitivity to that of genotyping, a significantly higher specificity of 91% was reached (P < 0.0001). Thus, a DNA methylation test for the triage of hrHPV‐positive women on original screening specimens might be a valid approach with better performance than genotyping.     

CyclinA1 Promoter Methylation in Self-Sampling Test

Background: Self sampled HPV testing is a cervical cancer screening method . However, cytology in self-sampled specimen cannot be used as a triage test.  Therefore, other methods for triage should be considered. CyclinA1 (CCNA1) promoter methylation has strong association with cervical precancerous and cancerous lesion. The objective of this study was to compare the diagnostic value of CCNA1 and self-sampled specimen for detecting high-grade cervical intraepithelial lesions or worse (CIN2+). Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted. Women with abnormal cytology or positive for high risk HPV (hrHPV) indicated for colposcopic examination were enrolled.  Self-collected sampling for hrHPV DNA (SS-HPV) and CCNA1 were performed. hrHPV DNA testing was done by Cobas 4800 method. CCNA1 promoter methylation was detected by CCNA1 duplex methylation specific PCR. Histopathologic result as CIN2+ obtaining from colposcopic directed biopsy or excisional procedure  was considered as positive a gold standard. The results of hrHPV and CCNA1 were reported as positive or negative. Sensitivity specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of SS-HPV and CCNA1 were calculated by comparing the results with the gold standard. Results: Two hundreds and eighty women were recruited. High-grade cervical lesions and cervical cancer (CIN2+) were diagnosed in 21.8% (61 cases) of the patients. The most common type of hrHPV was non 16, 18 subtype, followed by HPV16 and 18. CCNA1 was positive in 13 patients out of whom, twelve were CIN2+. Sensitivity of CCNA1 was 19.7 % and its  specificity and accuracy were 99.5% and 82.14%, respectively.  The sensitivity of SS-HPV was 70.5%, and its  specificity and accuracy were 39.2% and 43.3%, respectively. Conclusion:  Due to high specificity and positive predictive value of CCNA1, it can be used as alarming sign of having high-grade cervical intraepithelial lesions, especially in patient who has positive hrHPV DNA test based on self-collected sampling.