BACKGROUND: High-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) testing in cervical screening is usually performed on physician-taken cervical smears in liquid-based medium. However, solid-state specimen carriers allow easy, non-hazardous storage and transportation and might be suitable for self-collection by non-responders in screening and in low-resource settings. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the adequacy of self-collected cervicovaginal (c/v) samples using a Viba-brush stored on an Indicating FTA-elute cartridge (FTA-based self-sampling) for hrHPV testing in women referred to a gynecology clinic due to an abnormal smear. STUDY DESIGN: 182 women accepted to self-collect a c/v sample. After self-sampling, a physician obtained a conventional liquid-based cervical smear. Finally, women were examined by colposcopy and a biopsy was taken when clinically indicated. Self-samples required only simple DNA elution, and DNA was extracted from physician-obtained samples. Both samples were tested for 14 hrHPVs by GP5+/6+-EIA-LQ Test and SPF(10)-DEIA-LiPA(25). RESULTS: Both assays detected significantly more hrHPV in physician-collected specimens than in self-collected samples (75.3% and 67.6% by SPF(10); 63.3% and 53.3% by GP5+/6+, respectively). The combination of physician-collected specimen and GP5+/6+ testing demonstrated the optimal balance in sensitivity (98.0%) and specificity (48.1%) for CIN2+ detection in this referral population. A test system of FTA-based self-collection and SPF(10) hrHPV detection approached this sensitivity (95.9%) and specificity (42.9%). CONCLUSIONS: These results show that the clinical performance of hrHPV detection is determined by both the sample collection system and the test method. FTA-based self-collection with SPF(10) testing might be valuable when a liquid-based medium cannot be used, but requires further investigation in screening populations.
BACKGROUND: High-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) testing in cervical screening is usually performed on physician-taken cervical smears in liquid-based medium. However, solid-state specimen carriers allow easy, non-hazardous storage and transportation and might be suitable for self-collection by non-responders in screening and in low-resource settings. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the adequacy of self-collected cervicovaginal (c/v) samples using a Viba-brush stored on an Indicating FTA-elute cartridge (FTA-based self-sampling) for hrHPV testing in women referred to a gynecology clinic due to an abnormal smear. STUDY DESIGN: 182 women accepted to self-collect a c/v sample. After self-sampling, a physician obtained a conventional liquid-based cervical smear. Finally, women were examined by colposcopy and a biopsy was taken when clinically indicated. Self-samples required only simple DNA elution, and DNA was extracted from physician-obtained samples. Both samples were tested for 14 hrHPVs by GP5+/6+-EIA-LQ Test and SPF(10)-DEIA-LiPA(25). RESULTS: Both assays detected significantly more hrHPV in physician-collected specimens than in self-collected samples (75.3% and 67.6% by SPF(10); 63.3% and 53.3% by GP5+/6+, respectively). The combination of physician-collected specimen and GP5+/6+ testing demonstrated the optimal balance in sensitivity (98.0%) and specificity (48.1%) for CIN2+ detection in this referral population. A test system of FTA-based self-collection and SPF(10) hrHPV detection approached this sensitivity (95.9%) and specificity (42.9%). CONCLUSIONS: These results show that the clinical performance of hrHPV detection is determined by both the sample collection system and the test method. FTA-based self-collection with SPF(10) testing might be valuable when a liquid-based medium cannot be used, but requires further investigation in screening populations.
Authors: D T Geraets; K Cuschieri; M N C de Koning; L J van Doorn; P J F Snijders; C J L M Meijer; W G V Quint; M Arbyn Journal: J Clin Microbiol Date: 2014-09-10 Impact factor: 5.948