Menstrual Blood Human Papillomavirus DNA and TAP1 Gene Polymorphisms as Potential Biomarkers for Screening and Monitoring of Cervical Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion
Wong SCC, Au TCC, Chan SCS, et al.The Journal of Infectious Diseases · 2018DOI 10.1093/infdis/jiy369
In plain language
HPV DNA was tested in menstrual blood collected on sanitary napkins from 265 women in Hong Kong with CIN or HPV infection and from sexually active, apparently healthy women as controls. Menstrual blood HPV DNA detected CIN or HPV infection with 83% sensitivity and 98% specificity, was found in 24% of women after LEEP treatment and in none of 76 women with proven recovery, and two TAP1 gene variants were examined as risk markers.
Key numbers
- 265
- Women with CIN or HPV infection
- 83%
- Sensitivity for CIN or HPV infection
- 98%
- Specificity
What it means
Menstrual blood on an ordinary napkin carried HPV DNA in most women with known cervical disease, and none was found after proven recovery, hinting at a role in follow-up as well as screening. The TAP1 gene findings are a separate, exploratory risk marker.
What it does not show
Women were recruited because they already had a diagnosis and were compared with a healthy group, a design that tends to flatter accuracy compared with real screening. The negative predictive value was 74%, so about one in four negative results came from a woman with disease in this group.
How to cite
Wong SCC, Au TCC, Chan SCS, Ng LPW, Tsang HF. Menstrual Blood Human Papillomavirus DNA and TAP1 Gene Polymorphisms as Potential Biomarkers for Screening and Monitoring of Cervical Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion. The Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2018;218(11):1739-1745. doi:10.1093/infdis/jiy369