Evaluation of p16 immunostaining to predict high‐grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in women with Pap results of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance

p16 immunostaining has been examined to detect high‐grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade (CIN2+) in Pap cytology specimens. However, the utility of p16 in predicting CIN2+ in Pap specimens with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC‐US) or atypical squamous cells, cannot exclude high‐grade squamous intraepithelial neoplasm (ASC‐H), is controversial. In this study, we evaluated the utility of p16 immunostaining for predicting CIN2+ in 78 Pap specimens with ASC‐US/ASC‐H and compared the results in high‐risk HPV DNA and the follow‐up biopsies. p16 immunostaining was positive in 47% (37/78) of the Pap specimens. Of the 13 Pap specimens with follow‐up biopsy results of CIN2+, 7 (54%) were positive for p16. p16 positivity in the Pap specimens was not significantly associated with a CIN2+ biopsy result (P = 0.76). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of p16 immunostaining for predicting CIN2+ were 54%, 52%, 19%, and 85%, respectively. High‐risk HPV DNA was detected in 40% (31/78) of the Pap specimens. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of HPV DNA for predicting CIN2+ were 100%, 72%, 42%, and 100%, respectively. High‐risk HPV genotypes were detected in six p16‐negative specimens with follow‐up biopsy results of CIN2+. Our findings suggest that the utility of p16 immunostaining for predicting CIN2+ in Pap specimens with ASC‐US/ASC‐H is limited. Scant abnormal cells in Pap specimens with ASC‐US/ASC‐H may have contributed to the low p16 sensitivity. Diagn. Cytopathol., 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Reflex high-risk human papilloma virus DNA test is useful in the triage of women with atypical squamous cells cannot exclude high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion

This study is aimed to investigate the role of reflex high-risk human papilloma virus (HPV) DNA testing as an alternative triage method to colposcopy for women with atypical squamous cells cannot exclude high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (ASC-H) on Papanicolaou (Pap) tests. Reflex HPV DNA testing using Hybrid Capture II method was carried out on 88 women with ASC-H diagnosed by Thin Prep Pap test. Correlation with follow-up biopsies was available on 42 of these patients. The reflex HPV DNA test showed an overall positive rate of 67% and negative rate of 33% in 88 patients with ASC-H. Using age 30 as the cut off point, the positive rate had increased to 83.3% (35/42) in patients 30 yr or younger, while the positive rate for patients older than 30 yr had decreased to 52.2% (24/46). Follow-up colposcopic biopsy results were available in 35 of 59 HPV-positive women, which revealed 15 (43%) high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL), 12 low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL), and 8 negative for dysplasia. In 7 HPV-negative patients, the follow-up biopsies showed no evidence of HSIL or LSIL. Correlation between clinical risk factors and the HPV results demonstrated no significant differences in HPV positivity between the high-risk and low-risk patients. The high sensitivity (100%) and negative predictive rate (100%) in detecting HSIL in our study provide strong evidence that, instead of automatic referral to colposcopy, reflex HPV DNA testing may be used as an alternative triage method for women diagnosed with ASC-H on Thin Prep Pap test, especially for women older than 30 yr of age.     

细胞块p16联合高危型HPV检测在ASCUS患者分流管理中的作用

目的 探讨细胞块p16联合高危型人乳头瘤病毒(high-risk human papillomavirus,HR-HPV)检测在未明确意义的非典型鳞状上皮(atypical squamous cell of undetermined significance,ASCUS)患者分流管理中的作用.方法 选取108例子宫颈液基细胞学诊断为ASCUS的病例,同时行HR-HPV杂交捕获法Ⅱ(hybrid capture 2,HC2)检测及免疫组化p16染色,均行阴道镜下活检.结果 (1)p16表达率和HR-HPV检出率在炎症组、湿疣/CIN1、CIN2、CIN3组中分别为12.5％ (6/48)和31.25％(15/48)、60.53％ (23/38)和84.21％ (21/38),84.62％ (11/13)和92.31％(12/13)、100％ (9/9)和100％ (9/9),组间差异有统计学意义(P＜0.001);湿疣/CIN1组与CIN2/3组间p16表达率分别为60.53％ (23/38)、90.91％ (20/22),差异有统计学意义(P＜0.0125).(2)p16联合HR-HPV检测、单纯行p16和HR-HPV检测在ASCUS中分流子宫颈病变的敏感性和阴性预测值分别为98.33％ (59/60)、71.67％ (43/60)、88.33％ (53/60),97.06％ (33/34)、71.19％ (42/59)、82.5％ (33/40),差异均有统计学意义(P＜0.05).p16 +/HC2+者高级别病变检出率(44.19％,19/43)与p16-/HC2+者(8％,2/25)比较差异有统计学意义(P ＜0.001).结论 p16蛋白可以作为一种辅助诊断CIN的免疫组化标志物.细胞块p16联合HR-HPV检测可以有效分流ASCUS中的子宫颈病变患者.     

Comparative evaluation of nm23 and p16 expression as biomarkers of high-risk human papillomavirus infection and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2(+) lesions of the uterine cervix

Benevolo M, Terrenato I, Mottolese M, Marandino F, Muti P, Carosi M, Rollo F, Ronchetti L, Mariani L, Vocaturo G & Vocaturo A
(2010) Histopathology 57 , 580–586
Comparative evaluation of nm23 and p16 expression as biomarkers of high‐risk human papillomavirus infection and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2⁺ lesions of the uterine cervix Aims: To investigate the clinical role of nm23 expression in identifying both high‐risk human papillomavirus (HR‐HPV) and high‐grade cervical lesions or carcinomas [cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2⁺ (CIN2⁺)], and to compare it with p16 overexpression, as this latter biomarker has already been reported widely in HR‐HPV infected cervical lesions. Methods and results: Immunohistochemical evaluation of nm23 and p16 in 143 cervical biopsy specimens including negative, low‐ and high‐grade lesions and squamous carcinomas (SC). HR‐HPV testing by Digene hybrid capture 2 (HC2) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on the cervico‐vaginal samples of the same patients. In detecting CIN2⁺, p16 was significantly more sensitive and specific than nm23 (96.3% versus 81.8% and 66% versus 36.4%, respectively, both P < 0.0001). Concerning HR‐HPV detection by HC2, p16 showed a significantly higher specificity than nm23 (82% versus 47%, P <0.0001), although the sensitivities were comparable (71% versus 76%). We found a significantly direct correlation between nm23 and HC2 findings. However, nm23 expression did not correlate with HPV16/18 infection. In contrast, we observed a significant association between p16 overexpression and HPV16/18 genotypes. Conclusions: We confirm the diagnostic value of p16 overexpression. Moreover, despite in vitro data regarding the interaction with the HPV‐E7 protein, nm23 does not appear to be a more useful biomarker than p16 in identifying CIN2⁺ or HR‐HPV infection.     

An evaluation of the diagnostic and prognostic significance of p16INK4a/p21WAF1/Cip1 immunostaining in squamous intraepithelial lesions of the uterine cervix using liquid‐based cytology specimens

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection frequently causes squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) of the uterine cervix and consequently gives rise to squamous cell carcinoma. It is therefore important to identify cases that potentially develop higher grades of SIL at an early stage of the disease. In this study, we thus investigated whether immunocytochemistry for p21^WAF1/Cip1 and p16^INK4a could be applicable in the diagnosis and the prognostic prediction of SIL in combination with genomic analyses of HPV. The genomic analysis of high‐risk HPV (hrHPV), which was done by reversed dot blotting and by in situ hybridization, and immunocytochemistry were performed on liquid‐based cytological specimens. A cross‐sectional study comprising 145 cases of NILM, ASC‐US, LSIL, and HSIL indicated that the incidence of the positive cases for p16^INK4a and p21^WAF1/Cip1 and hrHPV increased with the grade of SIL. A double positive status for p16^INK4a and p21^WAF1/Cip1 was a significant discriminator between HSIL and LSIL/NILM, even when applied in conjunction with the genomic test for hrHPV (P = 0.006 by logistic regression analysis). However, a prospective study employing 61 NILM/ASC‐US cases, revealed that the p16^INK4a/p21^WAF1/Cip1 immunostaining was not a significant predictor for the progression of SIL, whereas the cytological diagnosis (NILM vs. ASC‐US) and the infection status of hrHPV conferred significant effects on the prognosis. Immunostaining of p16^INK4a and p21^WAF1/Cip1 provides additional information on the cytological diagnosis of SIL. A further analysis using a larger population is warranted to obtain a conclusive result regarding the prognostic significance of p16^INK4a/p21^WAF1/Cip1 immunocytochemistry in the diagnosis of SIL. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2014;42: 125–133. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.