Objective: To use flow cytometry to screen cervical samples for the overexpression of human papillomavirus (HPV) E6 and E7 mRNA and compare the performance of this assay with an HPV DNA array for the detection of high-grade cervical lesions.
Study design: Cervical samples were analyzed for HPV DNA by clinical arrays, and the overexpression of E6 and E7 viral oncogenes was monitored using an HPV mRNA detection kit that quantifies the intracellular HPV E6 and E7 mRNA on a cell-by-cell basis.
Results: HPV positivity increased with severity of histologic lesions. On the basis of histology-confirmed CIN 2+ cases the specificity of HPV assay was 73.9% (95% CI 66.07, 80.88), whereas it was 39.3% (95% CI 31.85, 47.1) for the DNA assay.
Conclusion: The HPV assay provides an early predictor of persistent HPV infection and may improve cervical cancer screening by increasing the specificity of detecting high-grade lesions.