Human Papillomavirus in Cervical Neoplasia: Role, Risk Factors, and Implications

Usefulness of the human papillomavirus DNA chip test as a complementary method for cervical cytology

Objectives

As a convenient and economical method of screening cervical cancer and precancerous pathologies, the Papanicolaou smear (Pap smear) has been most widely used. Nevertheless, it requires cytological changes for making diagnoses and reportedly has a high false-negative rate. In this study, the usefulness of the human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA chip test as a complementary method that can compensate for the defect of the Pap smear was investigated.

Material and Methods

Of the 6516 patients who simultaneously underwent a Pap smear and an HPV DNA chip test at Chonnam National University Hospital between January 2015 and December 2016, 1897, an initial PAP smear-negative patients who had undergone an additional Pap smear during their 2-year follow-up period were selected for this study. Of the subject patients, 281 underwent a cervical biopsy.

Results

The Pap smear follow-up of an initial Pap smear-negative subjects showed 53 (75.7%) HPV high-risk positive cases in the cytology low-grade lesion group (70 cases) and 46 (97.8%) HPV high-risk positive cases in the cytology high-grade lesion group (47 cases). The 281 biopsy cases included 67 biopsy low-grade lesion cases and 74 biopsy high-grade lesion cases, of which there were 45 (67.2%) and 67 (90.5%) HPV high-risk positive cases, respectively. The follow-up cytology on the high-risk HPV-positive subjects showed that the ratio of their high-grade lesions was 260.8 times greater than that of the high-risk HPV-negative subjects (OR = 260.8 and 95% CI: 36.1 and 1886.1); and their biopsy showed that the ratio of their high-grade lesions was 102.7 times greater than that of the HPV-negative subjects (OR = 102.7 and 95% CI: 14.0 and 753.3).

Conclusion

The complementary use of the HPV DNA chip test may be useful in increasing the accuracy of screening examinations for the early diagnosis of uterine cervix cancer when combined with the Pap smear.

HPV Testing and Pap Test: Role for a Combined Approach in a Non-Screened Population

The aim of the present study was to test the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as a tool to identify human papillomavirus (HPV) in routine cytological samples scraped from the uterine cervix. Moreover, attention has been focused on the correlation between HPV types and early intraepithelial lesions. The study involved 586 women who had undergone conventional Pap test. Analysis of HPV infection was performed by PCR and HPV typing by dot blot. In a group of 78 cases histologically diagnosed as high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs), the cytological diagnosis was correct in 92.3% and the HPV test was positive in 89.8% of cases; combined positivity at Pap and/or HPV tests raised this figure to 99.0%. In a group of 67 cases histologically diagnosed as low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSILs), the cytological diagnosis was correct in 73.1% and the PCR-based HPV test was positive in 64.2%; combined positivity at Pap and/or HPV tests raised this figure to 91.0%. This study confirms the limitations of screening programs based on Pap test only. Our results suggest, in fact, that adding the HPV test to primary screening could increase the yield of preinvasive cervical lesions.

Evaluation of the detection of 14 high-risk human papillomaviruses with HPV 16 and HPV 18 genotyping for cervical cancer screening

The American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP) suggests that women ≥30 years old, with a negative cytopathological test but a positive high-risk (HR) human papillomavirus (HPV) test should undergo HPV 16 and HPV 18 genotyping. If this test is positive, immediate cervical pathology is required. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and clinical value of testing for 14 HR HPVs with HPV 16 and HPV 18 genotyping for cervical cancer (CC) screening. A total of 424 females from the China-Japan Friendship Hospital were selected and randomly divided into two groups (A and B). All participants underwent two different testing methods: the liquid-based cytology test (LCT) and a HPV DNA test. For the HPV DNA test, participants in group A underwent the hybrid capture II (HC-II) testing method while participants in group B were tested using the quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR; HBRT-H14) method. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value for the detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) grade II or greater using HBRT-H14 were 96.30, 78.17, 23.21 and 99.68%, respectively. In Group B, compared with other HR HPV types, HPV 16 and HPV 18 infection led to the increased possibility of cervical lesions graded CIN II or higher (8.11 and 51.28%, respectively). A significant difference in the rates of CC and CIN II or higher was observed among women who were i) infected with HPV 16 and/or HPV 18, ii) infected with other HR HPV types and iii) diagnosed as negative for HR HPV infection (χ²=93.976, P=0.0001). In conclusion, HBRT-H14 is applicable for CC screening with the advantage of genotyping for HPV 16 and HPV 18, which may help to improve triage management for women with negative cytology.

Sensitive HPV genotyping based on the flow-through hybridization and gene chip

Persistent infection of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) has been recognized as the direct cause of cervical carcinoma. Therefore, detection and genotyping of HPV are important to cervical-cancer screening. In this study, we have evaluated the efficacy of flow-through hybridization and gene chip (HybriMax) on HPV genotyping through comparison of the results with Hybrid Capture II (HC-II) and in situ hybridization (ISH). 591 women were classified into 6 groups according to their histological diagnoses. The overall accordance rate on 13 types of HPV genotypes between HybriMax and HC-II were 92.5% and 100% in the cancer group. The overall accordance was excellent with the Kappa index (KI) of 0.814. The value of KI in each group was 0.750 (normal cytological diagnosis), 0.781 (chronic cervicitis), 0.80 (condyloma acuminatum), 0.755 (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) I), 0.723 (CIN II), and 0.547 (CIN III) (0.75 > KI > 0.4, good; KI ≥ 0.75, excellent). The 10 most common HPV subtype detected by HybriMax were 16, 52/58, 18, 33, 31, 81, 53, 68, and 66 in patients, and 16, 68, 18, 52, 58, 11, 53, 31/39, and 33 in normal controls. In conclusion, HybriMax is an efficient method for HPV genotyping and more suitable for clinical use.

Phylogeographic analysis of human papillomavirus 58

Human papillomavirus 58 (HPV58) is one type of HPV with high risk of causing cervical cancer. Unusually high prevalence of HPV58 has been reported in Asia, Africa and some other areas. However, due to the scattered distribution of global data, in addition to the lack of data of some HPV58 high-incidence nations and regions, like Mainland China, a comprehensive analysis of the global geographical distribution of HPV58 remains blank so far. In this study, HPV58 from the human cervical cancer tissue was detected in Mainland China, and 14 new HPV58-E6/L1 gene sequences were obtained. Moreover, phylogeographic analysis has been conducted combining the HPV58 sequences that have been deposited in GenBank since 1985. The study result shows that the sequences detected from the Shanghai, Jiangsu and Sichuan areas are homologous with those found in the past from Hong Kong and Xi'an, China, as well as Japan and other Southeast Asian areas. Furthermore, Western Africa is considered to be the "root" source of the HPV58 variant, while Mainland China and Southeast Asia are "transit points" and the new sources of HPV58 after receiving the isolates from the "root" source; like HPV16 and HPV18, the HPV58 might also be one of the major HPV types associated with the development and spread of cervical cancer.

The utility of the K6/ODC transgenic mouse as an alternative short term dermal model for carcinogenicity testing of pharmaceuticals

The use of transgenic rodents may overcome many limitations of traditional cancer studies. Regulatory perspectives continue to evolve as new models are developed and validated. The transgenic mouse, K6/ODC, develops epidermal tumors when exposed to genotoxic carcinogens. In this study, K6/ODC mice were evaluated for model fitness and health robustness in a 36-week study to determine oncogenic risk of residual DNA in vaccines from neoplastic cell substrates. K6/ODC and C57BL/6 mice were treated with T24-H-ras expression plasmid, carrier vector DNA, or saline topically or by subcutaneous injection. One group of K6/ODC mice received 7,12-dimethylbenz-[a]anthracene [DMBA] dermally. Only DMBA-treated mice developed papillomas by six weeks, increasing in incidence to 25 weeks. By week 11, many K6/ODC mice showed severe dehydration and dermal eczema. By week 32, (6/8) surviving K6/ODC mice showed loss of mobility and balance. Microscopic evaluation of tissues revealed dermal/sebaceous gland hyperplasia, follicular dystrophy, splenic atrophy, and amyloid deposition/neutrophilic infiltration within liver, heart, and spleen, in all K6/ODC mice. Pathology was not detected in C57BL/6 mice. Progressive adverse health, decreased survival, and failure to develop papillomas to the H-ras plasmid suggest that K6/ODC mice may be an inappropriate alternative model for detection of oncogenic DNA and pharmaceutical carcinogenicity testing.

Factors associated with condom use among at-risk women students and nonstudents seen in managed care

OBJECTIVES

Sexually transmitted diseases (STD) research has focused on high-risk populations such as STD clinic patients and college students. This report examines predictors of unprotected sex among nonstudent women seen in primary care.

STUDY DESIGN

Data are taken from the baseline survey of an intervention trial testing tailored print materials to encourage condom use.

POPULATION

Eligible women were identified from automated databases of two managed care organizations and were ages 18-25, unmarried, heterosexually active in the prior 6 months, and not in a long-term monogamous relationship.

OUTCOMES

The frequency of and relative contribution of risk behaviors to occurrences of unprotected vaginal sex were compared among non-full-time students (n=711) and full-time students (n=390).

RESULTS

STD risk behaviors were prevalent and had similar associations with unprotected sex in both subsamples. Older age, using hormonal or no usual contraception, and having a "primary" partner increased unprotected sex; partner approval of condoms and having bought or carried condoms decreased unprotected sex.

CONCLUSION

While sexually active single women seen in primary care perceive themselves at low STD risk, their risk profiles are similar to those of higher risk populations. Clinic-based interventions that include proactive identification of at-risk women and systems for encouraging safer sex practices are needed.

Human papillomavirus and cervical cancer: not just a sexually transmitted disease

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the cause of virtually all cancers of the cervix, the fourth most common cancer in women in the United States. HPV is sexually transmitted, and the lifetime risk of contracting the virus is estimated to be 75%-90%. New methods of detecting HPV infection and cellular changes (dysplasia) caused by HPV can greatly reduce the mortality associated with this virus. More than 100 types of HPV exist and may be classified as low-, intermediate-, or high-risk in terms of causing cancer. The virus can cause genital warts, subclinical dysplasia, and cancer. Nurses play an important role in educating patients regarding HPV and preventive measures as well as in screening and treatment. Most women diagnosed with HPV need emotional support and factual information provided in a supportive, nonjudgmental manner. Nurses can meet this challenge and make a difference in reducing the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer.