Risk of cervical high-grade squamous intraepithelial neoplasia in cytologic negative and persistently high-risk human papillomavirus positive patients according to genotypes: a retrospective single center analysis.

In January 2020, a different cervical cancer screening program started in Germany. Women above the age of 35 are recommended to have a combined HPV and cytology swab every three years. Showing persistent high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV), cytologic negative cervical samples at baseline and after 12 months, patients are referred to colposcopy. Entailing considerable additional workload due to the required colposcopies, we analyzed the risk of high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN 3) in cytologic negative and persistent hrHPV women according to their hrHPV genotypes.Methods In this single center retrospective study, patients with persistent hrHPV, cytology negative cervical samples from our certified Colposcopy Unit in 2020 and 2021 were analyzed. Patient demographics, hrHPV types, biopsy rates and histological reports were collected.Results During the study, 69 patients were enrolled. Most frequent hrHPV genotypes were: hrHPV other 72.5%; HPV 16, 20.3% and HPV 18, 7.2%. Colposcopy showed no or minor changes in 92.7% and major changes in 7.2%. CIN 3 was found in 7 patients (10.1%). Prevalence of CIN 3 by hrHPV genotypes was 27.3% for HPV16, 20.0% for HPV18 and 7.1% for HPVO. A statistically significant dependency between hrHPV and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia was demonstrated (p = 0.048).Conclusion Within this single center study of persistent hrHPV, cytologic negative samples, patients with HPV 16 were more likely to have high-grade disease compared to other hrHPV subtypes. Larger prospective randomized trials are needed to substantiate our results and obtain adjusted cervical cancer screening time intervals according to the hrHPV genotypes.

Clinical evaluation of primary human papillomavirus (HPV) testing with extended HPV genotyping triage for cervical cancer screening: A pooled analysis of individual patient data from nine population-based cervical cancer screening studies from China.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical values of extended human papillomavirus (HPV) genotyping in triage of high-risk HPV-positive women, focusing on the trade-off between cervical precancer detections and colposcopy referrals. METHODS: A bivariate random-effects model was used to estimate the diagnostic accuracy of primary HPV screening with following triage strategies to detect cervical precancers: (i) partial genotyping for HPV16/18 combined with cytological testing at atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance threshold (used as the comparator), (ii) genotyping for HPV16/18/58/52, (iii) genotyping for HPV16/18/58/52/33, (iv) genotyping for HPV16/18/58/33/31, (v) genotyping for HPV16/18/58/52/33/31, and (vi) genotyping for HPV16/18/58/52/33/31/39/51. Internal risk benchmarks for clinical management were used to evaluate the risk stratification of each triage strategy. RESULTS: A total of 16,982 women (mean age 46.1 years, range 17-69) were included in this analysis. For CIN3+ detection, triage with HPV16/18/58/33/31 genotyping achieved lower positivity (6.85% vs. 7.35%, p = 0.001), while maintaining similar sensitivity (91.35% vs. 96.42%, p = 0.32) and specificity (94.09% vs. 93.67%, p = 0.56) compared with the comparator strategy. Similar patterns were observed for CIN2+ detection. Women with a positive HPV16/18/58/33/31 genotyping test had high enough risk for CIN3+ for colposcopy referral, while the risk for women with a negative test was below the 1-year return decision threshold according to internal benchmarks. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggested extended HPV genotyping is of potential to be used as a triage technique integrated into HPV-based cervical cancer screening, leading to reduced need for colposcopy referral while maintaining similar disease detection and efficient risk stratification.

Precancerous lesion determinants in women attending cervical cancer screening at public health facilities in North Shoa Zone, Amhara, Ethiopia: an unmatched case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Precancerous cervical lesions develop in the transformation zone of the cervix and progress through stages known as cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 1, 2, and 3. If untreated, CIN2 or CIN3 can lead to cervical cancer. The determinants of cervical precancerous lesions are not well documented in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aims to find the determinants of cervical precancerous lesions among women screened for cervical cancer at public health facilities. METHODS: A study conducted from January to April 2020 involved 216 women, consisting of 54 cases (positive for VIA during cervical cancer screening) and 162 controls (negative for VIA). It focused on women aged 30 to 49 undergoing cervical cancer screening. Multivariable logistic regression analysis assessed the link between precancerous lesions and different risk factors, considering a significance level of p < 0.05. RESULTS: Women who used oral contraceptives for a duration exceeding five years showed a nearly fivefold increase in the likelihood of developing precancerous lesions (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 4.75; 95% CI: 1.48, 15.30). Additionally, early age at first sexual intercourse (below 15 years) elevated the odds of developing precancerous lesions fourfold (AOR = 3.77; 95% CI: 1.46, 9.69). Furthermore, women with HIV seropositive results and a prior history of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) had 3.4 times (AOR = 3.45; 95% CI: 1.29, 9.25) and 2.5 times (AOR = 2.58; 95% CI: 1.10, 6.09) higher odds of developing cervical precancerous lesions compared to their counterparts. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, women who have used oral contraceptives for over five years, started sexual activity before the age of 15 and have a history of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, are at higher risk of developing precancerous cervical lesions. Targeted intervention strategies aimed at promoting behavioural change to prevent early sexual activity and STIs are crucial for avoiding cervical precancerous lesions. It is crucial to introduce life-course principles for female adolescents early on, acknowledging the potential to prevent and control precancerous lesions at critical stages in life, from early adolescence to adulthood, encompassing all developmental phases.

Cervical cancer screening practices in HIV positive females - a missing link in health care delivery in Pakistan.

Objectives: To probe cervical cancer screening practices in local women positive for human immunodeficiency virus, and to determine the cervical cytological changes in them. METHODS: The serial cross-sectional study was conducted at the Jinnah Hospital and Services Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan, from April 2019 to October 2020, and comprised female patients aged 18-45 years who were positive for human immunodeficiency virus or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and were registered with the relevant programme being run by the provincial government in Punjab. Blood samples of all the patients were collected for the determination of human immunodeficiency virus viral load and cluster of differentiation 4+ count. Cervical smears were taken for cytopathological analysis, while the swabs were analysed for culture sensitivity. The same individuals were subjected to the same testing one year later, and the status of the disease and clinical stability or disease progression was explored. Data was analysed using SPSS 25. RESULTS: There were 150 women with mean age 32.08±7.13 years (range: 21-45 years). Age at marriage/sexual activity was 17.33±4.73 years in 15(10%) subjects. Cytological examination showed atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance in 6(4%) of the cases whereas 3(2%) cases showed atypical squamous cells, which cannot rule out high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion on cytology, while the rest were classified as negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy. Cervical microbial changes revealed methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus infection in 9(6%) cases, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase in 15(10%) cases, whereas fungal infection and trichomonas vaginalis infection were found in 30(20%) smears. There was a significant association between cluster of differentiation 4+ cell count and stability of high-risk patients (p<0.001). After one year, 84(56%) patients remained clinically stable, while 51(34%) developed some chronic illness. There was a significant association between cluster of differentiation 4+ cell count <200/mm3 and the risk of developing a chronic illness (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: There was a dire need to educate healthcare workers to offer regular cervical screening to patients with high-risk sexually-transmitted infections to prevent them from the morbidity and mortality related to cervical cancer.

Effect of the HPV vaccination programme on incidence of cervical cancer and grade 3 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia by socioeconomic deprivation in England: population based observational study.

OBJECTIVES: To replicate previous analyses on the effectiveness of the English human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme on incidence of cervical cancer and grade 3 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN3) using 12 additional months of follow-up, and to investigate effectiveness across levels of socioeconomic deprivation. DESIGN: Observational study. SETTING: England, UK. PARTICIPANTS: Women aged 20-64 years resident in England between January 2006 and June 2020 including 29 968 with a diagnosis of cervical cancer and 335 228 with a diagnosis of CIN3. In England, HPV vaccination was introduced nationally in 2008 and was offered routinely to girls aged 12-13 years, with catch-up campaigns during 2008-10 targeting older teenagers aged <19 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence of invasive cervical cancer and CIN3. RESULTS: In England, 29 968 women aged 20-64 years received a diagnosis of cervical cancer and 335 228 a diagnosis of CIN3 between 1 January 2006 and 30 June 2020. In the birth cohort of women offered vaccination routinely at age 12-13 years, adjusted age standardised incidence rates of cervical cancer and CIN3 in the additional 12 months of follow-up (1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020) were, respectively, 83.9% (95% confidence interval (CI) 63.8% to 92.8%) and 94.3% (92.6% to 95.7%) lower than in the reference cohort of women who were never offered HPV vaccination. By mid-2020, HPV vaccination had prevented an estimated 687 (95% CI 556 to 819) cervical cancers and 23 192 (22 163 to 24 220) CIN3s. The highest rates remained among women living in the most deprived areas, but the HPV vaccination programme had a large effect in all five levels of deprivation. In women offered catch-up vaccination, CIN3 rates decreased more in those from the least deprived areas than from the most deprived areas (reductions of 40.6% v 29.6% and 72.8% v 67.7% for women offered vaccination at age 16-18 and 14-16, respectively). The strong downward gradient in cervical cancer incidence from high to low deprivation in the reference unvaccinated group was no longer present among those offered the vaccine. CONCLUSIONS: The high effectiveness of the national HPV vaccination programme previously seen in England continued during the additional 12 months of follow-up. HPV vaccination was associated with a substantially reduced incidence of cervical cancer and CIN3 across all five deprivation groups, especially in women offered routine vaccination.

Effectiveness of high-risk human papillomavirus genotyping for cervical cancer screening. A multicentre screening cohort study in rural China.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) primary testing for cervical cancer screening in China's rural areas. METHODS: Women aged 21-64 years were recruited. Cervical cytology was diagnosed following the Bethesda 2001 classification system, HPV infection (HR-HPV, HPV-16, HPV-18, and other 12 genotypes) identified by Cobas-4800, and colposcopy and biopsy performed when required. Primary outcomes were defined as the cumulative incidence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2/3/higher (CIN2/3+) and its relative risk at baseline and at the 36-month follow-up. RESULTS: The study included 9,218 women; mean age was 45.15 years (SD: 8.74); 81% completed the follow-up. The most frequent type of cytological lesions (12.4% ) were ASCUS (8.4%) and LSIL (2.2%). HR-HPV infection (16.3%) was more prevalent in HPV-16 than in HPV-18 (3 vs 1.5%); a positive relationship with the severity of the lesions, from 29.8% in ASCUS to 89.6% in HSIL was found. At baseline, 3.5% of the patients underwent colposcopy; 20% had a positive diagnosis. At the 36-month follow-up, the cumulative incidences of CIN2+ and CIN3+ were higher in women with HR-HPV infection (16.9 vs 0.5% and 8.2 vs 0.2%). The relative risk of CIN2/3+ was lower in HR-HPV-negative women compared to those with a negative cytology at baseline (0.4; 95%CI: 0.3-0.4). CONCLUSIONS: High-risk HPV-based screening may significantly reduce the risk of CIN2/3+ compared with cytology testing. This may be a new resource for public health demands in China's rural areas.

Cervical precancerous and cancerous lesions screening using Pap smear test at Provincial Referral Hospital of Bukavu, Eastern DR Congo: profile and recommendations to stakeholders.

Introduction: cervical cancer is a health concern worldwide. The South Kivu Province in the Eastern DR Congo is facing many cases of this disease but poorly screened and reported. The objective of this was to determine the prevalence of cell abnormalities at cervical cytology in a tertiary teaching hospital in Bukavu and their association with common risk factors of cervical cancer. Methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted on 142 women attending the Provincial Referral Hospital of Bukavu (HPGRB) from February to December 2021. Quantitative variables were described by their median following their asymmetric distributions and the qualitative variables in absolute and relative frequencies. Then the Chi-square test was used for the comparison of proportion. Results: forty-five percent of the participants had between three and five children. Twenty-two (15.5%) of the 142 patients reported to have two or more sexual partners and 17.5% reported the use of hormonal contraception. The prevalence of cell abnormalities at cervical cytology was 17% of which Low- Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion (LSIL) was the most representative (12.9%). There was no statistically significant association between the common cervical risk factors and the occurrence of cell abnormalities. Conclusion: cervical pre-cancerous lesions are frequent in South Kivu province. The Pap smear test remains an early and affordable screening method and constitutes a secondary prevention strategy in women of 18 years and older in a low-income country such as DR Congo where vaccination against HPV is still hypothetic.

HPV DNA Testing and Mobile Colposcopy for Cervical Precancer Screening in HIV Positive Women: A Comparison Between Two Settings in Ghana and Recommendation for Screening.

INTRODUCTION: Women living with HIV (WLHIV) have higher prevalence and persistence rates of high-risk human papillomavirus (hr-HPV) infection with a six-fold increased risk of cervical cancer. Thus, more frequent screening is recommended for WLHIV. OBJECTIVES: This retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate and compare the prevalence of hr-HPV infection and abnormal findings on mobile colposcopy in two cohorts of WLHIV following cervical screening in rural and urban settings in Ghana. METHODS: Through the mPharma 10 000 Women Initiative, WLHIV were screened via concurrent hr-HPV DNA testing (MA-6000; Sansure Biotech Inc., Hunan, China) and visual inspection (Enhanced Visual Assessment [EVA] mobile colposcope; MobileODT, Tel Aviv, Israel) by trained nurses. The women were screened while undergoing routine outpatient reviews at HIV clinics held at the Catholic Hospital, Battor (rural setting) and Tema General Hospital (urban setting), both in Ghana. RESULTS: Two-hundred and fifty-eight WLHIV were included in the analysis (rural, n = 132; urban, n = 126). The two groups were comparable in terms of age, time since HIV diagnosis, and duration of treatment for HIV. The hr-HPV prevalence rates were 53.7% (95% CI, 45.3-62.3) and 48.4% (95% CI, 39.7-57.1) among WLHIV screened in the rural vs urban settings (p-value = .388). Abnormal colposcopy findings were found in 8.5% (95% CI, 5.1-11.9) of the WLHIV, with no significant difference in detection rates between the two settings (p-value = .221). Three (13.6%) of 22 women who showed abnormal colposcopic findings underwent loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP), leaving 19/22 women from both rural and urban areas with pending treatment/follow-up results, which demonstrates the difficulty faced in reaching early diagnosis and treatment, regardless of their area of residence. Histopathology following LEEP revealed CIN III in 2 WLHIV (urban setting, both hr-HPV negative) and CIN I in 1 woman in the rural setting (hr-HPV positive). CONCLUSIONS: There is a high prevalence of hr-HPV among WLHIV in both rural and urban settings in this study in Ghana. Concurrent HPV DNA testing with a visual inspection method (colposcopy/VIA) reduces loss to follow-up compared to performing HPV DNA testing as a standalone test and recalling hr-HPV positive women for follow up with a visual inspection method. Concurrent HPV DNA testing and a visual inspection method may also pick up precancerous cervical lesions that are hr-HPV negative and may be missed if HPV DNA testing is performed alone.

Association between HIV Serostatus and premalignant cervical lesions among women attending a cervical cancer screening clinic at a tertiary care facility in southwestern Uganda: a comparative cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Uganda has approximately 1.2 million people aged 15-64 years living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Previous studies have shown a higher prevalence of premalignant cervical lesions among HIV-positive women than among HIV-negative women. Additionally, HIV-infected women are more likely to have human papilloma virus (HPV) infection progress to cancer than women not infected with HIV. We determined the prevalence of premalignant cervical lesions and their association with HIV infection among women attending a cervical cancer screening clinic at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH) in southwestern Uganda. METHODS: We conducted a comparative cross-sectional study of 210 women aged 22-65 years living with HIV and 210 women not living with HIV who were systematically enrolled from March 2022 to May 2022. Participants were subjected to a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire to obtain their demographic and clinical data. Additionally, Papanicolaou smears were obtained for microscopy to observe premalignant cervical lesions. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to determine the association between HIV status and premalignant cervical lesions. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of premalignant cervical lesions in the study population was 17% (n = 72; 95% C.I: 14.1-21.4), with 23% (n = 47; 95% C.I: 17.8-29.5) in women living with HIV and 12% (n = 25; 95% C.I: 8.2-17.1) in women not living with HIV (p < 0.003). The most common premalignant cervical lesions identified were low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) in both women living with HIV (74.5%; n = 35) and women not living with HIV (80%; n = 20). HIV infection was significantly associated with premalignant lesions (aOR: 2.37, 95% CI: 1.27-4.42; p = 0.007). CONCLUSION: Premalignant cervical lesions, particularly LSILs, were more common in HIV-positive women than in HIV-negative women, highlighting the need to strengthen the integration of cervical cancer prevention strategies into HIV care programs.

Prevalence of high-risk HPV and cervical dysplasia in IUD users and controls: a cross sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence of infections with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical dysplasia, and the clearance rate of HPV infections, in users of different kinds of intrauterine devices (IUDs) and other contraceptive methods. METHODS: A cross-sectional register-based study including 16,181 women aged 30-49 years participating in the screening programme for cervical cancer in a Swedish County in 2017-2018. Data on contraception from screening records was paired with the HPV test results, cytological and histological follow-up tests and subsequent HPV test. RESULTS: There was no difference in the risk of being HPV positive, or histological HSIL+, between users of copper-containing IUDs and women with no reported use of contraception. Use of levonorgestrel intrauterine system and hormonal contraception were associated with higher odds for HPV infection in age-adjusted models (aOR 1.21; 95% CI 1.04-1.41, and aOR 1.41; 95% CI 1.22-1.63, respectively) and for HSIL+ (aOR 1.45; 95% CI 1.02-2.06, and aOR 1.56; 95% CI 1.13-2.16, respectively). No significant differences were found in HPV clearance rates. CONCLUSIONS: Reported use of levonorgestrel intrauterine system and hormonal contraception, but not use of copper IUD, was associated with a higher prevalence of HPV infections and histological HSIL + compared to no reported use of contraception.

Women using copper IUD showed no difference in prevalence of HPV or cervical dysplasia compared to women not using contraception in cross-sectional study.

The association between human papillomavirus infection, vaginal microecology, and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in women from Xinjiang, China.

PURPOSE: This study analyzes the relationship between human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, vaginal microecology, and cervical lesions to provide a basis for the prevention and treatment of cervical cancer (CC) in the Xinjiang region. METHODS: Real-time quantitative PCR was used for HPV genotyping and viral load. The Gram staining and dry biochemical enzyme kit were utilized to diagnose vaginal secretions. The χ2 test and Logistic regression analysis were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The HPV infection rate among women in the Xinjiang region was 30.29%, of which the single HPV infection accounts for 77%. HPV16 and HPV52 were the main infection types. There was significant differences in the HPV infection rate and infection types among the Han, Uighur, Hui, and Kazakh ethnic groups. The viral load of HPV16 and HPV52 increases with the upgrade of cervical lesions. There were significant differences in vaginal microecology evaluation indicators H2O2, SNA, LE, GUS, trichomonas, clue cells, and lactobacilli among different ethnic groups. HPV negative patients with varying grades of cervical lesions exhibit a notable variance in H2O2 and LE, which is statistically significant. Single HPV infection and high viral load HPV significantly increase the risk of CC. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that HPV infection and vaginal microecology differ among ethnic groups, which have a strong correlation with the progression of CC, offering guidance on CC screening and interventions in the Xinjiang area.

Predictable changes in the accuracy of human papillomavirus tests after vaccination: review with implications for performance monitoring in cervical screening.

Vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) is changing the performance of cytology as a cervical screening test, but its effect on HPV testing is unclear. We review the effect of HPV16/18 vaccination on the epidemiology and the detection of HPV infections and high-grade cervical lesions (CIN2+) to evaluate the likely direction of changes in HPV test accuracy. The reduction in HPV16/18 infections and cross-protection against certain non-16/18 high-risk genotypes, most notably 31, 33, and/or 45, will likely increase the test's specificity but decrease its positive predictive value (PPV) for CIN2+. Post-vaccination viral unmasking of non-16/18 genotypes due to fewer HPV16 co-infections might reduce the specificity and the PPV for CIN2+. Post-vaccination clinical unmasking exposing a higher frequency of CIN2+ related to non-16/18 high-risk genotypes is likely to increase the specificity and the PPV of HPV tests. The effect of HPV16/18 vaccination on HPV test sensitivity is difficult to predict based on these changes alone. Programmes relying on HPV detection for primary screening should monitor the frequency of false-positive and false-negative tests in vaccinated (younger) vs. unvaccinated (older) cohorts, to assess the outcomes and performance of their service.

Prevalence of High-Risk HPV Detection and HPV Vaccination in Cervical Cancer Screening During the HPV Vaccination Era at Siriraj Hospital - Thailand's Largest National Tertiary Referral Center.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of high-risk (HR) human papillomavirus (HPV) detection and HPV vaccination among women undergoing cervical cancer screening during the HPV vaccination era at Siriraj Hospital - Thailand's largest national tertiary referral center. METHODS: This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted at our center's outpatient gynecology clinic during September-December 2021. Women aged ≥18 years with no previous hysterectomy, no history of preinvasive or invasive cervical cancer, and no current pregnancy who visited for cervical cancer screening were eligible for enrollment. Women with abnormal vaginal discharge/bleeding, and specimens with inadequate cellularity were excluded. We collected sociodemographic data, history of HPV vaccination, cervical cytology results, and high-risk HPV testing results. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to determine HPV genotype. RESULTS: A total of 216 women (mean age: 41.7 years (range: 25-65), 75.9% premenopausal) were enrolled. Twenty of 216 (9.3%) women tested positive for HR-HPV, and 15 of 216 (6.9%) women had been previously vaccinated for HPV. The most common HPV genotypes detected were Group B infection (HPV 35/39/51/56/59/66/68) (38.9%), followed by HPV16 (27.78%), Group A infection (HPV 31/33/52/58) (27.8%), and HPV18 (5.56%). No HPV45 infection was detected. The detection rate of cytologic abnormalities was 4.16%. Three-quarters (77.8%) of patients with cytologic abnormalities were HR-HPV positive. CONCLUSION: Among the 216 women who underwent cervical cancer screening in this study, there was a 9.3% prevalence of HR-HPV infection, and a 6.9% prevalence of HPV vaccination. Among the 15 vaccinated women, 2 tested positive for HPV16 (1 normal cytology, 1 abnormal cytology).

Retrospective analysis of cytology and high-risk HPV testing in 1067 endocervical adenocarcinomas and precursor lesions.

BACKGROUND: Cytology and high-risk human papilloma virus (hrHPV) cotesting is the mainstay in the detection of cervical carcinoma. METHODS: Endocervical adenocarcinoma (EAC) is divided into HPV-associated adenocarcinoma (HPVA) and HPV-independent adenocarcinoma (HPVI) by the World Health Organization classification (2020). The detection effect of cotesting is suggested to be different among EAC subtypes and precursors, but has not well-documented yet. In this study, the authors retrospectively analyzed cotesting among adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS), HPVA, and HPVI. The cohort included 569 AIS and 498 EAC consisting of 371 (74.5%) HPVA, 111 (22.3%) HPVI, and 16 (3.2%) adenocarcinoma, not otherwise specified. RESULTS: The authors found that AIS patients were significantly younger than HPVA and HPVI (mean ± SD, years: 40.7 ± 8.6; HPVA, 44.8 ± 9.3; HPVI, 50.0 ± 11.3; p < .001) and had a higher prevalence of concurrent squamous intraepithelial lesions (75.5%, HPVA, 37.2%; HPVI, 12.6%; p < .001). The detection rate of hrHPV test or cytology was substantially higher in AIS and HPVA than in HPVI (97.7% and 90.2% vs. 16.5%, p < .001, or 71.1% and 71.9% vs. 60.7%, p = .042, respectively). Cytology and hrHPV cotesting was superior to a single test in the detection of EAC and AIS. The detection rate of cotesting amounted to 100% in AIS and 94.3% in HPVA but was substantially lower in HPVI (72.2%) (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The authors conclude that cytology and hrHPV cotesting can maximize the detection effect for HPVA and AIS but is not optimal for HPVI.

Performance of urine samples compared to cervical samples for detection of precancer lesions among HPV-positive women attending colposcopy clinic in Mexico City.

BACKGROUND: High-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) detection in self-collected urine samples (SeCUS) may be a promising alternative for cervical cancer screening because of its greater acceptability, as long as it can offer comparable sensitivity to clinician-collected cervical samples (CCoS) for detecting precancer lesions. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the performance of the SeCUS compared to that of the CCoS for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 (CIN3) detection among hrHPV-positive women receiving colposcopy in Mexico City using different specific extended HPV typing procedures: HPV16/18, HPV16/18/35/39/68 or HPV16/18/35/39/68/31. METHODS: From March 2017 to August 2018, 4,158 female users of the cervical cancer screening program at Tlalpan Sanitary Jurisdiction in Mexico City were invited to participate in the FRIDA-Tlalpan study. All participants provided ≥ 30 mL of SeCUS, and then a CCoS was obtained with Cervex-Brush®, which was used for hrHPV typing. Participants who tested positive for hrHPV in CCoS were referred for colposcopy for diagnostic confirmation, and all SeCUS of these women were also tested for hrHPV typing. RESULTS: In total, 561 hrHPV-positive women were identified by CCoS via colposcopy, and 82.2% of the SeCUS of these women were also hrHPV positive. From both CCoS and SeCUS, 7 cases of CIN3 were detected. Considering HPV16/18 typing, CCoS and SeCUS detected 4 cases of CIN3, but after HPV16/18/35/39/68/31 extension typing, both CCoS and SeCUS detected all 7 of the CIN3 cases among the hrHPV-positive women. CONCLUSIONS: Using extended hrHPV typing based on HPV16/18/35/39/68/31, our results suggest that the performance of SeCUS may be equivalent to that of CCoS for detecting CIN3 lesions. Although our results are inconclusive, they support the hypothesis that SeCUS may be an attractive alternative worthy of further research.

Genotype, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, and type-specific cervical intraepithelial neoplasia distributions in hrHPV+ cases referred to colposcopy: A multicenter study of Chinese mainland women.

To investigate age and type-specific prevalences of high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) in hrHPV+ women referred to colposcopy. This is a retrospective, multicenter study. Participants were women referred to one of seven colposcopy clinics in China after testing positive for hrHPV. Patient characteristics, hrHPV genotyping, colposcopic impressions, and histological diagnoses were abstracted from electronic records. Main outcomes were age-related type-specific prevalences associated with hrHPV and CIN, and colposcopic accuracy. Among 4419 hrHPV+ women referred to colposcopy, HPV 16, 52, and 58 were the most common genotypes. HPV 16 prevalence was 39.96%, decreasing from 42.57% in the youngest group to 30.81% in the eldest group. CIN3+ prevalence was 15.00% and increased with age. As lesion severity increases, HPV16 prevalence increased while the prevalence of HPV 52 and 58 decreased. No age-based trend was identified with HPV16 prevalence among CIN2+, and HPV16-related CIN2+ was less common in women aged 60 and above (44.26%) compared to those younger than 60 years (59.61%). Colposcopy was 0.73 sensitive at detecting CIN2+ (95% confidence interval[CI]: 0.71, 0.75), with higher sensitivity (0.77) observed in HPV16+ women (95% CI: 0.74, 0.80) compared to HPV16- women (0.68, 95% CI: 0.64, 0.71). Distributions of hrHPV genotypes, CIN, and type-specific CIN in Chinese mainland hrHPV+ women referred to colposcopy were investigated for the first time. Distributions were found to be age-dependent and colposcopic performance appears related to HPV genotypes. These findings could be used to improve the management of women referred to colposcopy.

PCDHGB7 hypermethylation-based Cervical cancer Methylation (CerMe) detection for the triage of high-risk human papillomavirus-positive women: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Implementation of high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) screening has greatly reduced the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer. However, a triage strategy that is effective, noninvasive, and independent from the subjective interpretation of pathologists is urgently required to decrease unnecessary colposcopy referrals in hrHPV-positive women. METHODS: A total of 3251 hrHPV-positive women aged 30-82 years (median = 41 years) from International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital were included in the training set (n = 2116) and the validation set (n = 1135) to establish Cervical cancer Methylation (CerMe) detection. The performance of CerMe as a triage for hrHPV-positive women was evaluated. RESULTS: CerMe detection efficiently distinguished cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse (CIN2 +) from cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 or normal (CIN1 -) women with excellent sensitivity of 82.4% (95% CI = 72.6 ~ 89.8%) and specificity of 91.1% (95% CI = 89.2 ~ 92.7%). Importantly, CerMe showed improved specificity (92.1% vs. 74.9%) in other 12 hrHPV type-positive women as well as superior sensitivity (80.8% vs. 61.5%) and specificity (88.9% vs. 75.3%) in HPV16/18 type-positive women compared with cytology testing. CerMe performed well in the triage of hrHPV-positive women with ASC-US (sensitivity = 74.4%, specificity = 87.5%) or LSIL cytology (sensitivity = 84.4%, specificity = 83.9%). CONCLUSIONS: PCDHGB7 hypermethylation-based CerMe detection can be used as a triage strategy for hrHPV-positive women to reduce unnecessary over-referrals. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR2100048972. Registered on 19 July 2021.

Prevalence and significance of HPV DNA detection below the clinical threshold of the commercial kit Alinity m HR-HPV assay (Abbott).

The positive clinical threshold of human papillomavirus (HPV) tests validated for primary cervical cancer screening (CCS) is designed to offer an optimal balance between clinical sensitivity and specificity. However, there may be a gap between the analytical sensitivity of the test and the positive clinical threshold, referred to here as the "gray-zone." This study aims to determine the prevalence and significance of HPV results obtained in the gray-zone in routine practice. Cervical samples obtained in our institution for CCS over a 22-month-period were tested with the Alinity m HR-HPV Assay (Abbott). Clinical and biological data, including cytological results and patients' HPV history were collected. Of the 6101 samples collected, 1.7% had an HPV result in the gray-zone (102 patients). The proportion of gray-zone results varied according to HPV genotype, reaching 11.8% of samples with detectable HPV DNA in the case of HPV31/33/52/58 genotypes. Reflex cytologies showed no abnormalities or Atypical Squamous Cells of Undetermined Significance results in 74.6% and 17.9% of cases, respectively. A previous or subsequent HPV-positive result with a (possibly) identical genotype was observed in 58% and 38% of cases, respectively. Two women with a history of persistent HPV detection had a CIN2+ lesion 1 year after the gray-zone result. In conclusion, the proportion of HPV results in the gray-zone varies according to genotype. No cytological abnormality is observed in the majority of cases, but a few rare patients with a history of persistent HPV infection should be closely monitored even if the HPV result is transiently located in the gray-zone.

Associations of Single Versus Multiple Human Papillomavirus Infections With the Prevalence of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia 2/3 and Squamous Cell Carcinoma Lesions: Human Papillomavirus Type-Specific Attribution.

The risk of developing cervical squamous lesions in women with multiple high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) infections is uncertain. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the type-specific attribution and phylogenetic effects of single and multiple hrHPV subtypes in cervical squamous lesions. All cases with cervical histopathologic diagnosis and human papillomavirus (HPV) genotyping results in the 6 months preceding biopsy from October 2018 to December 2022 were studied and analyzed. Over the study period, 70,361 cases with histopathologic follow-up and prior HPV genotyping were identified. The hrHPV-positive rate was 55.6% (39,104/70,361), including single hrHPV detected in 27,182 (38.6%), 2 types of hrHPV detected in 8158 (11.6%), and 3 types of hrHPV detected in 2486 (3.5%). Among 16,457 cases with a histologically diagnosed squamous lesion (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 1: 11411; cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2/3: 4192; squamous cell carcinoma: 854 cases), the prevalence of single hrHPV infection increased, but the rate of multiple concomitant hrHPV infections showed negative association as the degree of squamous lesions increased. Among women with a single HPV16 infection, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2/3 and squamous cell carcinoma (CIN2+) diagnostic rate was 30.6%, and it increased to 47.6% when coinfected with HPV33 (P < .001) but significantly decreased when coinfected with all other hrHPV types (P < .05). By comparing CIN2+ diagnostic rates in 40 most common 2 types of hrHPV infections with related single hrHPV infection, CIN2+ rates were decreased in 12 combinations (30.0%), equivalent in 26 combinations (65.0%), and increased in 2 combinations (5.0%). The cases with 3 types of HPV infections reduced the risk for CIN2+ compared with related single HPV infections. HPV16+52+53, HPV16+52+68, HPV16+52+51, HPV16+39+52, and HPV16+58+53 significantly decreased the risk of CIN2+ compared with HPV16 single infection (P < .05). This study demonstrates that multiple hrHPV infections are not associated with cumulatively higher risk for CIN2+ development, suggesting that oncogenic progression of multiple hrHPV-associated cervical squamous lesions is neither synergistic nor a cumulative effect at the phylogenetic level, possibly a way of competitive interference.

Community cervical cancer screening and precancer risk in women living with HIV in Jos Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: High HIV prevalence, and lack of organized screening for the indigent population receiving care and treatment within HIV clinics in low-resource settings increases cervical cancer incidence. We sought to determine predictors of cervical precancer in women living with HIV and receiving cervical cancer screening in Jos, Nigeria. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of women living with HIV and receiving care and treatment in adult HIV/AIDS clinics in Jos-Metropolis, Nigeria between June 2020 and April 2023. Ethical approvals were obtained from the ethics committee in Jos, Nigeria and Northwestern University IRB, USA. Informed consent was obtained from eligible participants, and data on socio-demographics, cancer risk factors, and cytology reports were collected. The outcome variables were cervical precancer lesions. The independent variables were prior Pap smear status, socio-demographics, income, educational, and other reproductive health factors. Descriptive statistics was done to obtain means ± sd, frequencies, and percentages for the variables. Univariate and bivariate analyses were done to determine predictors of cervical dysplasia. Analyses were performed using R software. RESULTS: Of 957 women screened, 570 were living with HIV and 566 women had cytology report and were included in the final analysis. The mean age was 45.08 ± 8.89 years and 81.6% had no prior evidence of Pap test (under-screened). Prevalence of cervical dysplasia was 24% (mild and severe dysplasia were 12.9% and 11.1%, respectively). Age above 45 years (aOR = 3.48, p = 0.009), postmenopausal status (aOR = 7.69, p = 0.000), and women with no history of prior IUCD use (aOR = 5.94, p = 0.0001), were predictors for severe dysplasia. Women who had history of STI (aOR = 0.17, p = 0.000), prior use of IUCD (aOR = 0.32, p = 0.004), prior use of condom (aOR = 2.50, p = 0.003) and had co-morbidities (aOR = 0.46, p = 0.009) were more likely to have had a Pap test in the past. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of indigent women receiving care at HIV clinics had their first Pap test screening, and lack of organized screening among older and post-menopausal women with HIV, puts women at a higher risk of developing severe cervical precancer lesions.