Comparison of cytologic findings between specimens with and without high-risk HPV infection in those with ASC-US judgement.

The objective of the study was to realize whether specific signatures for high-risk human papilloma virus (HPV) infection exist in the cytologic specimens with ASC-US judgement or not. The materials are 132 cytologic specimens with the diagnosis of ASC-US, including 56 cases with positive and 76 cases with negative HPV infection. Cytological findings are compared between two groups. Immature squamous metaplastic cells with nuclear atypia, SFT/IMT dyskaryotic cells, atypical parakeratosis, smudgy nuclei and multinucleated cells are the signature of high-risk HPV infection, whereas in the HPV(-) group immature metaplastic cells without atypia, moderately mature metaplastic cells without nuclear atypia and atrophic background are more popular. Instead, there are no differences on SFT/IMT background, microorganism infection and koilocytosis with or without nuclear atypia in both groups. The specific findings to confirm high-risk HPV infection are realized and the present results will contribute to decrease an unnecessary ASC-US judgement.

Cytological Characteristics of Endometrial Phasing Using the Specimens Prepared with the Liquid-Based Procedure: Comparison with the Conventional Procedure.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether or not the liquid-based procedure (LBP) for endometrial cytology is as worthwhile for endometrial phasing as conventional slides. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The subjects were 81 women who underwent endometrial cytology and were defined as negative. The specimens obtained by either Endocyte® or Masubuchi aspiration tube® were processed first with the conventional procedure and then with LBP using TACAS™. RESULTS: (1) The number of subjects diagnosed by the conventional method as having proliferative, mid-, middle-secretory and late-secretory and atrophic phases was 40, 11, 10, 0 and 20, respectively. The rate of agreement with those using LBP was 87.7%. (2) Incidences of large clusters, ductal clusters, palisade arrangement, uneven staining and dirty mucous background detected were significantly higher with the conventional method, whereas with LBP clean background, inconspicuous bonding of cells, scattered solitary glandular cells, clear well-stained cytoplasm and cell compactness were higher. (3) Especially in the proliferative phase, clusters tended to be smaller and lose their architectural structures, and scattered solitary columnar cells were present. (4) Cells in the mid-phase tended to have loose contact and to mimic other phases. CONCLUSIONS: Cytodiagnosis of endometrial phasing prepared with LBP is feasible to perform when some modifications are implemented.

Optimal sampling devices for liquid-based procedure in screening for cervical cancer: comparison between cotton stick/Cytobrush and Cervex-Brush.

OBJECTIVE: To find an appropriate sampling device for a liquid-based procedure in the population screening for cervical cancer, focusing on bleeding at sampling and the amount of cells smeared. METHODS AND MATERIALS: 1,000 consecutive women who underwent primary screening were studied. The specimens were obtained with the cotton stick/Cytobrush® method in the first 500 cases or with the Cervex-Brush® in the following 500 subjects, and were processed using the Thinlayer Advanced Cytology Assay System (TACAS™) following the manufacturer's instructions. RESULTS: (1) Bleeding at cellular sampling using the cotton stick/Cytobrush and Cervex-Brush methods occurred in 1.2 and 8.8% of the cases, respectively (p < 0.0001). (2) The incidences of cells obtained with the two methods which covered the whole area, <1/2 and ≥1/4, and <1/4 of the observation fields were 55.4 versus 62.2% (p < 0.05), 14.6 versus 9.4% (p < 0.05), and 2.0 versus 4.0% (p < 0.05), respectively. (3) The incidences of endocervical or metaplastic cells obtained with ≥500 and <10 were 34.6 versus 20.0% (p < 0.01) and 9.4 versus 18.4% (p < 0.01), respectively. In cases of cells covering <1/4, incidences with <10 were 0 and 0.6% (n = 3), respectively. (4) Detection rates of abnormal cytology were 3.4 and 5.2% (n.s.), including atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance in 2.4 and 3.2%. CONCLUSIONS: The cotton stick/Cytobrush is superior to the Cervex-Brush as a cellular sampling device for the TACAS liquid-based procedure.