The use of reflex high-risk human papillomavirus testing for atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance interpretations on vaginal specimens

HPV-DNA testing for cervical cancer precursors: from evidence to clinical practice

The large amount of literature published over the last two decades on human papillomavirus (HPV)-DNA testing has definitely demonstrated the association between high-risk viral genotypes (hrHPV) and cervical cancer. Moreover, hrHPV-DNA testing has shown excellent performance in several clinical applications, from screening settings to the follow-up of treated patients, compared to conventional cytology or colposcopy options. On the other hand, when a huge number of reports are published on the same subject in a relatively short period of time, with many variations in settings, study designs and applications, the result is often confusion and decreased comprehension by readers. In daily office practice, several different situations (in symptomatic or asymptomatic women) can be positively managed by the correct use of hrHPV-DNA testing. Validated hrHPV-DNA testing and, specifically, the HC2® assay, due to its excellent sensitivity and negative predictive value together with optimal reproducibility, currently represent a powerful tool in the clinician’s hands to optimally manage several situations related to HPV infection and the potential development of cervical cancer.

Correlation of histopathologic/cytologic follow-up findings with vaginal ASC-US and ASC-H Papanicolaou test and HPV test results

Current American Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology recommendations about human papillomavirus (HPV) triage and further management for atypical squamous cells are pertinent to cervical Papanicolaou (Pap) tests. There are limited data on HPV detection in vaginal liquid-based cytology (LBC) specimens. The aims of this study were to determine whether adjunctive high-risk (HR)-HPV testing is useful for disease risk assessment in women with vaginal atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) and atypical squamous cells, cannot exclude HSIL (ASC-H) Pap results. We identified 1,125 ASC-US and 36 ASC-H vaginal Pap results with HR-HPV testing. Of the cases, 244 (21.7%) ASC-US and 21 (58%) ASC-H were HR-HPV+. Among ASC-US HR-HPV+ cases, 47.8% had a squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL) compared with 4.7% of HR-HPV- cases. Among ASC-H HR-HPV+ cases, 75% (12/16) had SIL compared with 31% (4/13) in HR-HPV- cases. Our results indicate that HPV triage testing is a reasonable and cost-effective approach for women with ASC-US vaginal Pap results and also a useful option for women with ASC-H vaginal Pap results.

Human papillomavirus viral load expressed as relative light units (RLU) correlates with the presence and grade of preneoplastic lesions of the uterine cervix in atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) cytology

Human papillomavirus (HPV) testing is more sensitive and has higher negative predictive value (NPV) than the Pap test for the detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) in patients with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) cytology, but has low specificity, leading to high referral rates to second-level triage. Our goal was to identify the prognostic significance of HPV viral load figures. We evaluated whether a correlation between viral load, expressed as relative light units/cutoff (RLU/CO), and the severity of cervical lesions existed in 614 ASCUS cases. Hybrid Capture 2 (HC2®) RLU/CO values, categorised into five classes, were correlated to clinical outcomes and statistically analysed. A significant correlation (p < 0.0001) was observed between increasing RLU values and the prevalence of high-grade CIN (CIN2/CIN3). The mean RLU values for negative, low-grade and high-grade lesions were 68.1, 172.5 and 1,020.0 RLU/CO, respectively (p < 0.0001). CIN2/CIN3 ranged from 4% for 0 < RLU/CO values ≤ 1, to 5% for 1 < RLU/CO values ≤ 10, to 9% for 10 < RLU/CO values ≤ 100, to 23% for 100 < RLU/CO values ≤ 1,000 and to 48% when RLU/CO values were >1,000 (p < 0.05). The HPV viral load in ASCUS cases significantly correlates with the severity of cervical cancer precursors. These data may have prognostic value, as they significantly correlate with the probability of a CIN2+ .

Prevalence of high-risk human papillomavirus in women with abnormal and normal vaginal ThinPrep Papanicolaou cytology

OBJECTIVE

The significance of high-risk HPV (hrHPV) testing in the management of women with abnormal cervical Pap tests is well known. However, the data about the hrHPV detection and its significance in abnormal vaginal specimens are very limited. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of hrHPV in women with abnormal vaginal smears.

METHODS

Our Copath database system was searched to retrieve all the vaginal Pap tests with adjunctive HC2 hrHPV DNA test performed between July 1, 2005, and July 30, 2009. The results of hrHPV were reviewed in different TBS 2001 categories, in different age groups, and in white and African American women.

RESULTS

During the study period, there were 1,320 vaginal ThinPrep Pap tests with adjunctive HC2 hrHPV, reported as atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (n = 1,125), atypical squamous cells cannot rule out high grade (n = 36), low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (n = 148), and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (n = 11). A positive hrHPV DNA result was obtained in a total of 387 cases (29.3%), which included 244 atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (21.7%), 21 atypical squamous cells cannot rule out high-grade (58.3%), 113 low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (76.4%), and 9 high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (81.8%). Mean age was 56.5 years (range = 17-93 y). High-risk HPV-positive rate was 34.5% versus 24.9% in women aged 54 years or younger compared with those aged ≥ 55 years or older (p < .001) and 45.1% versus 27.3% in African American women compared with white women (p < .001). High-risk HPV DNA-positive rate was 2.6% among the 1,572 women with negative vaginal Pap tests.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results show that prevalence of hrHPV in abnormal vaginal smears parallels that of cervical smears with equivalent degree of abnormality. The suggestion of reflex hrHPV testing as a tool in formulating the management plan for women with abnormal vaginal smears needs further attention.