Comparison of urine, self-collected vaginal swab, and cervical swab samples for detecting human papillomavirus (HPV) with Roche Cobas HPV, Anyplex II HPV, and RealTime HR-S HPV assay

Comparison of nylon-flocked swabs and cotton swabs in the detection of human papillomavirus infection in men

BACKGROUND

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is an oncogenic virus and the commonest sexually transmitted pathogen worldwide. Appropriate sampling is an important factor in infection management. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of cotton swabs (CS) and nylon-flocked swabs (NFS) in sampling for HPV-DNA PCR testing in male patients with genital warts.

METHODS

The study included men with genital warts who presented to the urology outpatient clinic of Antalya Medical Park Hospital. Before wart treatment, multisite sampling of the penis and genital area was performed separately with CS and NFS. The samples were analyzed for HPV-DNA using real-time PCR.

RESULTS

The study included 45 men with a mean age of 32.1 ± 8.6 years. At least one HPV type was detected in all 45 patients with NFS sampling and 44 patients with CS sampling (total HPV types detected: 106 and 84, respectively). NFS sampling detected 52 high-risk HPV types in 37 of the 45 patients, while CS sampling detected 37 high-risk types in 19 patients (p = 0.029). NFS sampling also detected a total of 54 low-risk HPV types in all 45 patients, versus 47 low-risk HPV types in 41 patients with CS sampling. Multiple HPV types were detected in 30 patients with NFS and 17 patients with CS (p = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

NFS were more effective than CS for HPV-DNA testing in men with genital warts. NFS were superior to CS in detecting multiple-type HPV infection and high-risk HPV types. The use of NFS should be recommended for HPV-DNA PCR testing in men.

Comparative evaluation of Anyplex II HPV28 and Allplex HPV28 molecular assays for human papillomavirus detection and genotyping in anogenital cancer screening

Persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is recognized as the main cause for the development of anogenital cancers. This study prospectively evaluated the diagnostic performance of the novel Allplex-HPV28 assay with the Anyplex-II-HPV28 to detect and genotype HPV in 234 consecutive swabs and 32 biopsies of the anogenital tract from 265 patients with atypical findings in cytomorphological screening. Agreement in HPV-DNA detection between the Anyplex-II and Allplex-HPV28 assays was 99%. There was a notable diversity in the HPV-virome, with the most prevalent high-risk HPV types being 16, 53, 66, and 68. The agreement rates for detecting these genotypes exceeded 93% between the Anyplex-II and Allplex-HPV28 assays. Discrepancies in test results were solely noted for Anyplex-II-HPV28 results with a low signal intensity of "+", and for Allplex-HPV28 results with cycle thresholds of ≥36. The semi-quantitative analysis of HPV-DNA loads showed significant agreement between the Anyplex-II-HPV28 and Allplex-HPV28 assays (p < 0.001). Furthermore, HPV-DNA detection rates and mean HPV-DNA loads significantly correlated with the grade of abnormal changes identified in cytopathological assessment, being highest in cases of HSIL, condyloma accuminatum, and squamous cell carcinoma. Overall agreement rates for detecting specific HPV-types among the Anyplex-II and Allplex-HPV28 assays exceeded 99.5% in cases of atypical squamous cells, condyloma accuminatum, and squamous cell carcinoma. The novel Allplex-HPV28 assay shows good diagnostic performance in detecting and genotyping HPV commonly associated with anogenital cancers. Consequently, this assay could offer substantial potential for incorporation into future molecular screening programs for anogenital cancers in clinical settings.

High-Risk Genotypes of Human Papillomavirus at Diverse Anogenital Sites among Chinese Women: Infection Features and Potential Correlation with Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia

BACKGROUND

Both cervical cancer and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) are associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection at different anogenital sites, but the infection features of high-risk (HR) HPVs at these sites and their association with cervical lesions have not been well characterized. Given the limitation of cervical HPV 16/18 test in screening patients with high-grade CIN (CIN 2+), studies on whether non-16/18 HR-HPV subtype(s) have potential as additional indicator(s) to improve CIN 2+ screening are needed.

METHODS

The infection of 15 HR-HPVs in vulva, anus, vagina, and cervix of 499 Chinese women was analyzed, and CIN lesion-associated HR-HPV subtypes were revealed.

RESULTS

In addition to the well-known cervical-cancer-associated HPV 16, 52, and 58, HPV 51, 53, and 56 were also identified as high-frequency detected subtypes prevalently and consistently present at the anogenital sites studied, preferentially in multi-infection patterns. HPV 16, 52, 58, 56, and 53 were the top five prevalent subtypes in patients with CIN 2+. In addition, we found that cervical HPV 33/35/52/53/56/58 co-testing with HPV 16/18 might improve CIN 2+ screening performance.

CONCLUSION

This study provided a new insight into HR-HPV screening strategy based on different subtype combinations, which might be used in risk stratification clinically.

Prevalence of genital high-risk human papillomavirus infections and associated factors among women living with human immunodeficiency virus in Uganda

BACKGROUND

Women living with HIV are at risk for cervical dysplasia and cancer worldwide. In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that testing for high-risk HPV (hrHPV) infection be incorporated into cervical cancer screening programs using molecular nucleic acid tests (NATs) but this has not previously been done in Uganda. The country's coverage for Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) screening remains low at less than 10% for women aged 25-49 years. This study determined the genital prevalence of hrHPV infection and the associated factors among women living with HIV in Uganda.

METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 15 selected health facilities among participants who were on Antiretroviral therapy (ART). Participants who consented to participate were instructed on how to collect their own high vaginal swabs using a cervical brush for HPV molecular testing (HPV DNA or HPV RNA) and their demographics data was collected using a standard questionnaire. Laboratory diagnosis for HPV molecular testing was done using Gene xpert machines and Hologic Aptima Machine. Modified Poisson regression analysis was conducted to determine the associated factors.

RESULTS

This study involved 5856 HIV positive participants on ART. A total of 2006 out of 5856 (34.3%) participants had high risk HPV infections. HPV infections by genotypes were: HPV16 317(15.8%), HPV 18/45 308 (15.4%) and other high-risk HPV 1381 (68.8%). The independent factors associated with all hrHPV were parity, education level, having more than one partner, and engaging in early sex. Smoking was associated with HPV 16, HPV 18/45 and other hrHPV. Age was associated with all hrHPV, marital status with HPV 16, and occupation with HPV 16.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of genital high-risk HPV infections among HIV positive women attending ART clinics in public facilities in Uganda was high. Other hrHPV genotype was the commonest compared to 18/45 and HPV 16. The integration of cervical cancer screening in ART programmes remains paramount to support the early detection of cervical cancer and Non-invasive self-collected urine and vaginal sampling for cervical cancer screening present an opportunity.

Human papillomavirus testing using HPV APTIMA® assay and an external cellularity control in self-collected samples

In cervical cancer screening programs, the detection of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) is now widely implemented on physician-collected samples and has expanded to include self-collected samples. The use of a cellularity control (CC) is needed to reduce false-negative HPV results. An external mRNA CC for the HPV APTIMA® assay was assessed for its analytical performance and the results were compared with both cervix cytobrush samples taken by physicians and self-collected vaginal samples from 148 women. The performance of the CC was adjusted to control for the presence of cellular mRNA in the ThinPrep® and Multitest® transport media. This CC is user-friendly but implies to perform two independent assays on PANTHER® automate. Self-collected vaginal sampling gives a lower median CC results (13.2 vs. 16.9 min) but a higher risk of negative CC results (3.3 vs. 0%). The usefulness of the CC for the HR-HPV assay may be optimized by the definition of a threshold for a minimum cell number to be tested to increase confidence in HPV-negative results. The systematic use of an RNA CC increases confidence for HPV RNA assays on self-collected vaginal samples.

Can HPV Test on Random Urine Replace Self-HPV Test on Vaginal Self-Samples or Clinician-Collected Cervical Samples?

Objective

This study investigated whether random urine (RU) samples can be used to accurately identify human papillomavirus (HPV) and whether these samples can replace self-collected vaginal samples in HPV tests.

Methods

A total of 167 patients with abnormal Pap smears were recruited. The patients provided self-collected vaginal and RU samples for HPV testing. Clinicians obtained cervical samples from the patients. Colposcopy examination and cervical biopsy were performed. Hybrid Capture II (HC II) and Cervista tests were used to detect HPV in the RU samples.

Results

The results of tests on clinician-collected cervical samples were used as the benchmark. The sensitivities of the Cervista tests on vaginal samples and the HC II and Cervista tests on RU samples were 75.00%, 49.07%, and 44.44%, respectively. After we adjusted the HPV detection cutoff value for urine samples based on values in the receiver operating characteristic curve, the sensitivities of the HC II and Cervista tests increased to 63.89% and 58.33%, respectively. In 167 patients, 59 had cervix biopsies showing CIN2 or worse (CIN2+). For CIN2+, the sensitivity was 47.5% and 50.8% in the HC II and Cervista tests on RU samples, respectively.

Conclusion

HPV tests on RU samples had approximately 60% sensitivity to HPV tests on clinician-collected cervical samples after the cutoff values were adjusted. For CIN2+, the sensitivity was only approximately 50%. Further studies and improvements in urine-based HPV testing are needed to establish it as a more convenient and accessible method for detecting HPV and cervical dysplasia in patients.

Association between Dietary Vitamin E Intake and Human Papillomavirus Infection among US Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Persistent high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is responsible for most genital, anal, and oropharyngeal cancers, in which men contribute significantly to infection and subsequent tumorigenesis in women. Vitamin E has been shown to be associated with vaginal HPV infection and cervical cancer. However, the association of vitamin E consumption with HPV infection among the overall population remains unclear. We investigate the association between vitamin E consumption and genital and oral HPV infection in both men and women. We used cross-sectional data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2013 and 2016 to collect details on their dietary vitamin E intake, genital and oral HPV infection status, and other essential variables. In total, 5809 participants aged 18-59 years were identified, with overall prevalence of high-risk and low-risk HPV infection of 23.7% and 21.1%, respectively. Compared with the lowest vitamin E group Q1 (<5.18 mg/day), the adjusted OR for vitamin E consumption and overall high-risk HPV infection in Q2 (5.18-7.54 mg/day), Q3 (7.55-10.82 mg/day), and Q4 (>10.82 mg/day) were 0.91 (95% CI: 0.81-1.03, p = 0.134), 0.77 (95% CI: 0.69-0.87, p < 0.001), and 0.72 (95% CI: 0.65-0.80, p < 0.001), respectively. Restricted cubic spline regression showed a linear relationship between vitamin E consumption and overall high-risk HPV infection. This linear relationship also existed for vitamin E consumption and overall low-risk HPV infection. After being stratified by gender and site, vitamin E consumption was inversely related to vaginal low- and high-risk HPV infection, penile high-risk HPV infection, and male oral low-risk HPV infection. In conclusion, we identified inverse linear relationships between dietary vitamin E intake and overall high- and low-risk HPV infection. Future well-designed longitudinal studies are still required to validate the impact of vitamin E on HPV carcinogenesis.

Comparison between the Roche Cobas 4800 Human Papillomavirus (HPV), Abbott RealTime High-Risk HPV, Seegene Anyplex II HPV28, and Novel Seegene Allplex HPV28 Assays for High-Risk HPV Detection and Genotyping in Mocked Self-Samples

Infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) is well recognized as the main cause of cervical cancer. The recently developed Seegene Allplex HPV28 assay is a novel quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay designed to separately detect and quantify 28 distinct HPV genotypes in a fully automated and user-friendly manner. This study evaluated and compared the performance of this new assay with the performance of the Roche Cobas 4800, the Abbott RealTime high-risk HPV, and the Seegene Anyplex II HPV28 assays. A total of 114 mocked self-samples, i.e., semicervical samples collected by gynecologists using the Viba-Brush, were analyzed with all four HPV assays. Agreement in terms of detecting and genotyping HPV was assessed by the mean of the Cohen's kappa (κ) coefficient. Results of all four HPV assays agreed in 85.9% of the cases when using the Abbott RealTime manufacturer's recommended quantification cycle (Cq) cutoff for positivity (<32.00) and 91.2% when using an adapted range (32.00 to 36.00). An intercomparison of the included assays demonstrated an overall agreement ranging from 85.9 to 100.0% (κ = 0.42 to 1.00) when using the manufacturer's guidelines and 92.9 to 100.0% (κ = 0.60 to 1.00) with the adapted range. For all assays, highly significant, strongly positive Pearson correlations were shown between the Cq values of positive test results. This study thereby shows high concordance between results of the included HPV assays on mocked self-samples. Based on these findings, we imply that the novel Allplex HPV28 assay demonstrates a comparable performance to those of available qPCR HPV assays, potentially providing opportunities for the simplification and standardization of future large-scale testing. IMPORTANCE This study proves that the novel Allplex HPV28 assay has a good diagnostic performance in comparison with the well-known, validated, and frequently used Roche Cobas 4800, Abbott RealTime, and Anyplex II HPV28 assays. According to our experience, the novel Allplex HPV28 assay had a user-friendly and automated workflow with short hands-on time, had an open platform which facilitates the use of add-on assays, and provided quick and easy-to-interpret results. Together with its ability to detect and quantify 28 HPV genotypes, the Allplex HPV28 assay could therefore potentially provide opportunities for the simplification and standardization of future diagnostic testing programs.

Differential Urinary Proteomic Analysis of High-Risk Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia

Human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated lesions and malignancies exhibit alterations in the composition and functionality of the extracellular matrix (ECM) that represent the complex molecular pathways present between infection and disease. A total of 20 urine samples were used, including from 10 patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 (CIN3) and 10 healthy controls to perform the label-free quantitative analysis using the nano-HPLC and ESI-MS ion trap mass analyzer and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/MS) fast screening. Among 476 identified/quantified proteins, 48 were significantly changed (log₂-fold change ≥1.0 or ≤-1.0, -log10 (bbinominal, p-value ≥ 1.3), of which were 40 proteins (down-regulated) and 8 proteins (up-regulated) in CIN3, in comparison to healthy controls. The biological function and key pathway enrichment of the gene set using gen set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were analyzed. The ECM-receptor interaction pathway (NES = -1.64, p = 0.026) was down-regulated by 13 proteins (HSPG2, COL6A1, COL6A3, SPP1, THBS1, TNC, DAG1, FN1, COMP, GP6, VTN, SDC1, and CD44; log₂ FC range from -0.03 to -1.48) for the CIN3 group in the KEGG database. The MALDI-TOF/MS screening showed the difference of protein profiles between the control and CIN3 groups, i.e., using the scatter plot with a well-separated shape, as well as effectively distinguishing both groups (control and CIN3) using genetic algorithms (GA) with cross-validation (51.56%) and recognition capability (95.0%). Decreased levels of ECM-receptor interaction proteins may cause disturbances in the interactions of cells with the ECM and play an important role in the development and progression of cervical cancer.

The Influence of Vaginal HPV Self-Sampling on the Efficacy of Populational Screening for Cervical Cancer-An Umbrella Review

INTRODUCTION

Early detection of cervical cancer is a matter of great importance as the prognosis depends on the stage of the disease. The objective of the study consisted in the assessment of the impact of HPV self-sampling on the efficacy of populational screening programs aimed at early CC detection.

METHODS

The analysis was performed taking into account the Cochrane Collaboration guidelines for systematic reviews. The analyzed articles were searched for in the following databases: Medline (PubMed), Embase (Ovid), and Cochrane Library.

RESULTS

From a total of 60 citations, 16 studies were included in this review. The HPV test is highly sensitive and specific although the diagnostic accuracy of tests carried out in self-collected samples is slightly lower than that of tests carried out in samples collected by clinicians. The results of meta-analyses for HPV tests performed on self-collected samples indicate that the sensitivity for detecting CIN2+ ranges from 74% to 86% (depending on the publication and the analyzed population), and for CIN3+ from 75% to 86%. One publication showed a clearly lower sensitivity of 42% in detecting CIN3+, but the result is for a high-risk population and comes from only 1 RCT. The specificity of the assay exceeds 80% and 79.5% with regard to the detection of CIN2+ and CIN3+, respectively. As shown by the studies included in the review, both the offering of HPV self-sampling kits to patients and the mailing of such kits significantly increase the uptake of and participation in cervical cancer screening programs. In addition, self-sampling was found to be acceptable by the female subjects.

CONCLUSIONS

HPV self-sampling is an innovative and cost-effective way to perform screening tests. In addition, self-sampling significantly increases the willingness to participate in screening programs among female subjects.

Analysis of HR-HPV Infection Concordance Rates in Cervical and Urine Specimens; Proposal of Additional Cervical Screening Process for Women Who Refuse Invasive Cervical Sampling

This study aimed to provide basic data for the clinical application of urine samples to prevent cervical cancer due to persistent HR-HPV infection in women who refuse invasive cervical sampling. Pairs of cervical swabs and urine samples were collected from 210 asymptomatic women who visited the obstetrics and gynecology department from August to December 2020, and a total of 420 samples were collected. Using the PANA RealTyper™ HPV Screening Kit as a real-time PCR method, paired cervical swabs and random urine samples were tested. A total of 19 samples (9.1%) were both HPV positive and 177 (84.3%) were both negative. The concordance between the two types of samples was 93.3%, with κ = 0.69 (moderate, 95% CI 0.54-0.84). The HPV infection rate by age was highest in both cervical swabs and urine samples in women in their 30s, followed by those in their 20s. Thus, the HPV infection rate was high in young women under 40 at 69.2% in cervical swabs and 61.8% in urine samples. Urine samples are considered a valuable screening test for women who refuse invasive Pap tests to prevent cervical cancer caused by persistent HPV infection.

The potential of urine for human papillomavirus-related cervical cancer prevention

Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers. The introduction of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines and the adaptation of regular screening programs are key actions that need to be generalized globally to achieve the goal of cervical cancer elimination. However, it is still challenging to achieve satisfactory coverage rate, and many women are reluctant to participate in gynecologic examination. In this article, we review the research on the application of HPV detection in urine samples for cervical cancer screening and vaccine monitoring, as well as discuss the technical challenges and new technological advancements in urine-based tests. HPV detection in urine is an excellent noninvasive alternative that is widely accepted by women, relatively affordable, and provides the potential to reach women without the necessity for clinical visits. Thus, it is an attractive tool for both cervical cancer screening and vaccine monitoring.

HPV AND DNA METHYLATION TESTING IN URINE FOR CERVICAL INTRAEPITHELIAL NEOPLASIA AND CERVICAL CANCER DETECTION

BACKGROUND

Biomarker detection in urine offers a potential solution to increase effectiveness of cervical cancer screening programs by attracting non-responders. In this prospective study, the presence of high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV DNA) and the performance of DNA methylation analysis was determined for the detection of cervical cancer and high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN2/3) in urine, and compared to paired cervicovaginal self-samples and clinician-taken cervical scrapes.

METHODS

A total of 587 samples were included from 113 women with cervical cancer, 92 women with CIN2/3, and 64 controls. Samples were tested for hrHPV DNA and five methylation markers. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression and leave-one-out cross-validation were used to determine the methylation marker performance for CIN3 and cervical cancer (CIN3+) detection in urine. Agreement between samples was determined using Cohen's kappa statistics and the Spearman correlation coefficients.

RESULTS

HrHPV presence was high in all sample types, 79% to 92%. Methylation levels of all markers in urine significantly increased with increasing severity of disease. The optimal marker panel (ASCL1/LHX8) resulted in an AUC of 0.84 for CIN3+ detection in urine, corresponding to an 86% sensitivity at a 70% predefined specificity. At this threshold 96%(109/113) of cervical cancers, 68%(46/64) of CIN3 and 58%(14/24) of CIN2 were detected. Between paired samples, a strong agreement for HPV16/18 genotyping and a fair to strong correlation for methylation was found.

CONCLUSION

HrHPV DNA and DNA methylation testing in urine offers a promising solution to detect cervical cancer and CIN2/3 lesions, especially for women currently unreached by conventional screening methods.

New Trends in the Detection of Gynecological Precancerous Lesions and Early-Stage Cancers

The prevention and early diagnostics of precancerous stages are key aspects of contemporary oncology. In cervical cancer, well-organized screening and vaccination programs, especially in developed countries, are responsible for the dramatic decline of invasive cancer incidence and mortality. Cytological screening has a long and successful history, and the ongoing implementation of HPV triage with increased sensitivity can further decrease mortality. On the other hand, endometrial and ovarian cancers are characterized by a poor accessibility to specimen collection, which represents a major complication for early diagnostics. Therefore, despite relatively promising data from evaluating the combined effects of genetic variants, population screening does not exist, and the implementation of new biomarkers is, thus, necessary. The introduction of various circulating biomarkers is of potential interest due to the considerable heterogeneity of cancer, as highlighted in this review, which focuses exclusively on the most common tumors of the genital tract, namely, cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers. However, it is clearly shown that these malignancies represent different entities that evolve in different ways, and it is therefore necessary to use different methods for their diagnosis and treatment.

Antioxidants Associated With Oncogenic Human Papillomavirus Infection in Women

BACKGROUND

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a major cause of cervical cancer. Studies showed the onset of HPV carcinogenesis may be induced by oxidative stress affecting the host immune system. The association between antioxidants and oncogenic HPV remains unclear. In this study, we aim to identify antioxidants associated with vaginal HPV infection in women.

METHODS

The associations between the 15 antioxidants and vaginal HPV infection status (no, low-risk [LR], and high-risk [HR] HPV) were evaluated using 11 070 women who participated in the 2003-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

RESULTS

We identified serum albumin and 4 dietary antioxidants (vitamin A, B2, E, and folate) inversely associated with HR-HPV infection. Women with a low level of albumin (≤39 g/L) have a significantly higher risk of HR-HPV (odds ratio [OR] = 1.4, P = .009 vs >44 g/L). A Nutritional Antioxidant Score (NAS) was developed based on these 4 dietary antioxidants. The women with the lowest quartile NAS had a higher chance of HR-HPV (OR = 1.3, P = .030) and LR-HPV (OR = 1.4, P = .002) compared with the women with the highest quartile NAS.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified 5 antioxidants negatively associated with vaginal HR-HPV infection in women. Our findings provide valuable insights into understanding antioxidants' impact on HPV carcinogenesis.

The Current and Future States of Screening in Gynecologic Cancers

Gynecologic cancers contribute to a significant portion of cancer morbidity and mortality among women in the United States and across the globe. This article provides a comprehensive review of current screening guidelines and novel techniques that have promise in the prevention and early detection of gynecologic cancers in the future. The authors anticipate a move toward less invasive testing modalities, use of cancer biomarkers, and the prevention and treatment of high-risk factors such as human papilloma virus infection and obesity.

A comparison of high-risk human papillomavirus DNA detection between urine and cervical sample testing in women with abnormal Pap smears

AIMS

To compare the clinical performance of high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) DNA detection between urine and cervical samples collected from the same patient for the detection of CIN2+ lesions (high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions or cervical cancer lesions). The secondary objectives were to evaluate agreement among hrHPV genotypes and to compare patient satisfaction between urine and cervical sample collection.

METHODS

This prospective cross-sectional study enrolled 96 women with abnormal cervical cytology who attended the colposcopy clinic at Siriraj Hospital (Bangkok, Thailand) between July 2016 and January 2017. Self-collected random-voiding and first stream urine samples were collected into a universal sterile urine container and immediately mixing with preservative before the pelvic examination. Cervical tissue sampling was performed according to standard treatment guidelines. Both specimens were sent for extraction and detection of hrHPV by Anyplex II HPV high-risk testing. Study patients were surveyed to compare patient satisfaction between urine and cervical sample collection.

RESULTS

Carcinogenic hrHPV positive rate was 73% in urine samples and 81% in cervical samples. The sensitivity for HPV in the detection CIN2+ was high in both the urine and cervical groups at 86.2% and 94.8%, respectively. Agreement between the urine and cervical groups for HPV 16 or 18 detection was high, with kappa values of 0.86 for subtypes 16/18. Urine specimen collection had significantly higher satisfaction and acceptability than cervical specimen collection.

CONCLUSION

Urine hrHPV testing by real-time polymerase chain reaction demonstrated high sensitivity and accuracy for the detection of CIN2+ lesions, with very good agreement when compared with cervical sample testing.

CoCoss-Trial: Concurrent Comparison of Self-Sampling Devices for HPV-Detection

High-risk human papillomavirus (hr-HPV) infection of the cervicovaginal tract is known to be the major cause of cervical cancer. Similar to various other countries, Germany introduced an organized combined screening including cytology and HPV testing in 2020. The participation rate was around 70% in the past. Self-testing for hr-HPV infections could be an option to increase the participation rate. Two dry vaginal self-sampling devices and a device for the self-collection of first-void urine were evaluated in combination with a PCR-based hr-HPV test regarding their clinical performance (sensitivity for high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, CIN 2+). A cervical smear taken by a clinician during colposcopy was used as reference. This open prospective multicenter trial recruited patients referred to the two participating colposcopy clinics (Hannover Medical School and IZD Hannover, Germany) with abnormal results from cervical cancer screening from 05/2020 to 11/2020. All patients received three CE-certified self-sampling devices (FLOQSwabs, COPAN, Italy; Evalyn Brush, Rovers Medical Devices, the Netherlands; Colli-Pee FV-5000, Novosanis, Wijnegem, Belgium) with instructions to read and apply at home in a pre-specified alternating order without medical assistance. HPV testing was performed after adequate preservation and DNA extraction. Histological results from colposcopy or cervical excisional surgery after self-sampling were used as the gold-standard. The data of 65 patients were analyzed. All invasive cancer cases and over 90% of the CIN 3 lesions were found to be hr-HPV positive with all three self-collection devices. All devices were considered easy to use without any difficulties following the written instructions. Hr-HPV testing of self-collected first-void urine and dry vaginal self-samples showed a high sensitivity for CIN 3+ comparable to that of a clinician-taken smear. Self-sampling was well accepted as it is convenient and easy to use.

Cervical Cancer Screening Postpandemic: Self-Sampling Opportunities to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer

The persisting burden of cervical cancer in underserved populations and low-resource regions worldwide, worsened by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, requires proactive strategies and expanded screening options to maintain and improve screening coverage and its effects on incidence and mortality from cervical cancer. Self-sampling as a screening strategy has unique advantages from both a public health and individual patient perspective. Some of the barriers to screening can be mitigated by self-sampling, and resources can be better allocated to patients at the highest risk of developing cervical cancer. This review summarizes the implementation options for self-sampling and associated challenges, evidence in support of self-sampling, the available devices, and opportunities for expansion beyond human papillomavirus testing.

HPV Type-Specific Prevalence a Decade after the Implementation of the Vaccination Program: Results from a Pilot Study

Human papillomavirus infection is a cause of the development of invasive cervical cancer. Three types of vaccine are currently available to prevent precancerous/cancerous lesions due to persistent infection, which is supported mainly by 7 different high-risk genotypes. The aim of this pilot study was to acquire preliminary data on type-specific prevalence 10 years after the implementation of the HPV vaccination program in Italy, in order to subsequently plan appropriate observational studies in the Italian population. First-voided urine samples were collected from 393 consenting subjects, both females and males, aged 18–40 years, and HPV DNA was detected by PCR amplification of a 450 bp L1 fragment. All amplified products were genotyped by means of the Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) method. The female population was divided into three cohorts (“vaccine-eligible”, “pre-screening” and “screening” cohorts) according to the preventive intervention scheduled by age; males were included in the same three cohorts according to their year of birth. The overall prevalence of HPV infection was 19%, being higher in females than in males (22.1% vs. 13.6%, p = 0.03729). In the female population, 10 years after the start of the national immunization program, we observed a reduction in the prevalence of vaccine types and the number of circulating genotypes, especially in the “vaccine-eligible” cohort. The frequency of HPV vaccine types increased with age, particularly in males in the “pre-screening” and “screening” cohorts. Our study highlights the importance of monitoring HPV infection in both genders, to validate the effect of the HPV vaccination program.

Impact of Collection Volume and DNA Extraction Method on the Detection of Biomarkers and HPV DNA in First-Void Urine

The potential of first-void (FV) urine as a non-invasive liquid biopsy for detection of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA and other biomarkers has been increasingly recognized over the past decade. In this study, we investigated whether the volume of this initial urine stream has an impact on the analytical performance of biomarkers. In parallel, we evaluated different DNA extraction protocols and introduced an internal control in the urine preservative. Twenty-five women, diagnosed with high-risk HPV, provided three home-collected FV urine samples using three FV urine collection devices (Colli-Pee) with collector tubes that differ in volume (4, 10, 20 mL). Each collector tube was prefilled with Urine Conservation Medium spiked with phocine herpesvirus 1 (PhHV-1) DNA as internal control. Five different DNA extraction protocols were compared, followed by PCR for GAPDH and PhHV-1 (qPCR), HPV DNA, and HBB (HPV-Risk Assay), and ACTB (methylation-specific qPCR). Results showed limited effects of collection volume on human and HPV DNA endpoints. In contrast, significant variations in yield for human endpoints were observed for different DNA extraction methods (p < 0.05). Additionally, the potential of PhHV-1 as internal control to monitor FV urine collection, storage, and processing was demonstrated.

Performance and Diagnostic Accuracy of Human Papillomavirus Testing on Self-Collected Urine and Vaginal Samples in a Referral Population

Purpose

The study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of polymerase chain reaction–based high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) assays on self-collected vaginal and urine samples for detection of precancerous cervical lesions in referral population.

Materials and Methods

Women referred for colposcopy following abnormal cytology, were included this study. A total of 314 matched urine, vaginal, and cervical samples were collected. All samples were tested for HPV DNA using the RealTime HR-S HPV and Anyplex II HPV 28 assays. Primary endpoints were sensitivity for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2+/CIN3+ and specificity for <CIN2. Secondary endpoints were the relative accuracy of high-risk HPV (hrHPV) test results in vaginal and urine samples versus cervical samples.

Results

The sensitivity of Realtime HR-S and Anyplex HPV assay was 93.13% (95% confidence interval [CI], 87.36 to 96.81) and 90.08% (95% CI, 83.63 to 94.61) for CIN2+ (n=130); specificity for <CIN2 was 32.69% (95% CI, 25.03 to 38.97) and 33.33% (95% CI, 26.26 to 41.00), respectively. Relative sensitivity of Realtime HR-S and Anyplex HPV tests for the detection of CIN2+ in vaginal versus cervical samples were 0.91 (95% CI, 0.90 to 1.03) and 0.87 (95% CI, 0.75 to 1.02), respectively; urine versus cervical comparisons were 0.79 (95% CI, 0.70 to 0.92) and 0.74 (95% CI, 0.61 to 0.89).

Conclusion

The detection performance for hrHPV and CIN2+ on self-collected vaginal samples was comparable to that of clinician-collected cervical samples. On the other hand, HPV tests using urine were inferior to those using clinician-collected cervical samples in terms of detecting hrHPV and CIN2+.

Urine collection in cervical cancer screening - analytical comparison of two HPV DNA assays

Background

To reach non-participants, reluctant to undergo clinician-based cervical cancer screening and vaginal self-sampling, urine collection for high-risk human papillomavirus detection (hrHPV) may be valuable. Using two hrHPV DNA assays, we evaluated the concordance of hrHPV positivity in urine samples in comparison with vaginal self-samples and cervical cytology samples taken by the general practitioner (GP). We also studied women’s acceptance of urine collection and preferences towards the different sampling procedures.

Methods

One hundred fifty paired self-collected urine and vaginal samples and GP-collected cervical cytology samples were obtained from 30 to 59-year-old women diagnosed with ASC-US within the Danish cervical cancer screening program. After undergoing cervical cytology at the GP, the women collected first-void urine and vaginal samples at home and completed a questionnaire. Each sample was hrHPV DNA tested by the GENOMICA CLART® and COBAS® 4800 assays. Concordance in hrHPV detection between sample types was determined using Kappa (k) statistics. Sensitivity and specificity of hrHPV detection in urine was calculated using cervical sampling as reference.

Results

With the COBAS assay, urine showed good concordance to the vaginal (k = 0.66) self-samples and cervical samples (k = 0.66) for hrHPV detection. The corresponding concordance was moderate (k = 0.59 and k = 0.47) using CLART. Compared to cervical sampling, urinary hrHPV detection had a sensitivity of 63.9% and a specificity of 96.5% using COBAS; compared with 51.6 and 92.4% for CLART. Invalid hrHPV test rates were 1.8% for COBAS and 26.9% for CLART. Urine collection was well-accepted and 42.3% of the women ranked it as the most preferred future screening procedure.

Conclusions

Urine collection provides a well-accepted screening option. With COBAS, higher concordance between urine and vaginal self-sampling and cervical sampling for hrHPV detection was found compared to CLART. Urinary hrHPV detection with COBAS is feasible, but its accuracy may need to be improved before urine collection at home can be offered to non-participants reluctant to both cervical sampling and vaginal self-sampling.

Comparison of two self-sampling methods for human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing among women with high prevalence rates

One major advantage of molecular assays for human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA detection is that these assays can be performed on self-collected samples unlike cytology or visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA). This cross-sectional study was carried out between March 2017 and April 2019 to compare the diagnostic performance in self-collected urine and vaginal samples for HPV DNA detection. Viral DNA was extracted from processed samples using a Qiagen viral DNA extraction Kit (QIAamp DNA Mini Kit). To detect four common high-risk HPV types (16, 18, 31, 45), multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the LCR/E6/E7 region of the HPV genome was performed in ABI 7500 cycler (Applied Biosystems). The negative samples were screened by conventional PCR targeting the L1 capsid region to exclude other HPV types. The overall agreement between the two self-collecting sampling methods was 64.04% with a κ value of 0.29 pointing towards a fair agreement (P < .01). The sensitivity of HPV DNA detection in urine samples was 57.95% (47.52%, 67.72), and specificity was 84.6% (66.47%, 93.85%) when compared with vaginal samples. The study concludes that self-collected vaginal HPV DNA testing is more sensitive than unpreserved-urine samples for HPV DNA detection in a hospital-based setting.

Performance and acceptability of self-collected human papillomavirus testing among women living with HIV

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Women living with HIV are under-screened for cervical cancer.

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Human papillomavirus (HPV) self-testing at home could become a more efficient strategy in the post-COVID-19 era.

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Self-collected HPV testing has good sensitivity and moderate specificity among women living with HIV.

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Self-sampling is highly accepted by women.

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Improvement in self-sampling techniques is needed due to possibly inadequate sample volume.

Objective

To assess the validity, reliability, and acceptability of self-collected human papillomavirus (HPV) tests in women living with HIV (WLHIV) in the United States.

Methods

WLHIV ≥30 years of age underwent self-collected (clinic and home) and clinician-collected HPV tests. Sensitivity and specificity analyses were performed using the clinician-collected HPV tests as the comparator. The unweighted kappa statistic was used to evaluate the validity and reliability of self-collected HPV testing, and the level of agreement between the clinician-collected mRNA test and a DNA test that was used for routine care. A 13-question survey was used to assess acceptability.

Results

Among the 70 participants, the median age was 50 years, 75% had an undetectable HIV RNA, and 11% had a CD4 count of <200 cells/μl. Nearly 63% had at least one positive HPV test. The sensitivity and specificity of the self-collected HPV test were 84.6% (95% confidence interval (CI) 65.1–95.6%) and 62.9% (95% CI 44.9–78.5%), respectively (κ = 0.5, 95% CI 0.2–0.7). The agreement between the two self-collected tests was good (κ = 0.8, 95% CI 0.5–1.0). There was good agreement between clinician-collected mRNA tests and DNA tests (κ = 0.8, 95% CI 0.7–1.0). Self-collection was highly acceptable.

Conclusions

Among WLHIV, self-collected HPV tests had good sensitivity and moderate specificity compared to clinician-collected HPV tests. The reliability between self-collected testing locations was good. Self-collected HPV testing had high acceptability.