Comparative efficacy of HPV 16/18 DNA and E6/E7 mRNA testing in detecting high-grade cervical lesions (CIN2+) in women with cervical biopsies

The study evaluated the efficacy of HPV 16/18 E6/E7 mRNA detection in women with abnormal cervical histology. A total of 99 cervical biopsy samples were analyzed, including 49 benign, 16 with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 (CIN1), 9 with CIN2/3, and 25 with cervical cancers. Samples were tested for HPV 16/18 using both DNA and mRNA RT-PCR methods. The findings revealed a sensitivity of 85.3 % (29/34) for the HPV DNA test and 76.5 % (26/34) for the mRNA test in detecting CIN2+ lesions. Notably, the E6/E7 mRNA test demonstrated greater specificity for CIN2+ at 75.4 % (49/65), compared to 52.3 % (34/65) for the DNA test. The prevalence of positive results for both tests increased with the severity of squamous cell abnormalities. However, the HPV 16/18 E6/E7 mRNA test provided superior specificity, making it a more effective method for cervical cancer screening in this region, offering more precise results than DNA testing alone.