Cytology and outcome of LSIL: cannot exclude HSIL compared to ASC-H

Objective:  The cytological features associated with clinical outcome of 'LSIL cannot exclude HSIL (LSIL-H)' in comparison with 'atypical squamous cells cannot exclude HSIL (ASC-H)' are incompletely described.
Methods:  LSIL-H and ASC-H Pap tests reported in a regional laboratory during a 13-month period were reviewed by two pathologists. Cytological features suspicious for HSIL were evaluated against a check list of 52 atypical features. All histology over 2 years of follow up for tests reclassified as LSIL-H and ASC-H was retrieved to determine clinical outcome. Atypical cytological features were correlated with outcome.
Results:  The review yielded 89 LSIL-H and 86 ASC-H. The highest ranked atypical cytological feature in each group was increased nuclear cytoplasmic ratio. Clinical outcome was positive (CIN II/III or AIS) in 44 (49%) LSIL-H and 33 (38%) ASC-H. Round ( P  = 0.02) and naked nuclei ( P  = 0.009) were significant correlates of outcome amongst LSIL-H tests, but no feature correlated with outcome in the ASC-H group.
Conclusions:  LSIL-H is different to ASC-H because of the 11% higher frequency of a positive outcome and the cytological features associated with outcome.     

The treatment of CIN: what are the risks?

The treatment of squamous cervical intraepithelial neoplasia is to remove or destroy the transformation zone (TZ). It is likely that no method of treatment is superior to another if it is performed properly and the limited available evidence supports this view. The significant advantages of excision (simplicity, cost, outpatient procedure, histological examination of the entire TZ) mean that treatment thresholds may have lowered over the last decade. Long-term pregnancy-related morbidity associated with excision has been reported recently. The evidence would suggest that this increase equates to a genuine increase in serious adverse outcome for cone biopsy but not large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ). The available data also point to an increase in both incomplete excision and premature labour associated with the excision of large endocervical TZs. The clinical implications arising from this are firstly that women with large type 2 and 3 TZs need appropriate counselling before treatment and that the threshold for treating young women with mild abnormalities needs review.     

European guidelines for clinical management of abnormal cervical cytology, Part 2

The current paper presents the second part of chapter 6 of the second edition of the European Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Cervical Cancer Screening . The first part of the same chapter was published in a previous issue ( Cytopathology 2008;19:342–54). This part provides guidance on how to manage and treat women with histologically confirmed cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. The paper describes the characteristics, indications and possible complications of excisional and ablative treatment methods. The three options to monitor the outcome after treatment (repeat cytology, HPV testing and colposcopy) are discussed. Specific recommendations for particular clinical situations are provided: pregnancy, immuno-suppression, HIV infection, post-menopause, adolescence and cyto-colpo-histological disparity. The paper ends with recommendations for quality assurance in patient management and some general advice on how to communicate screening, diagnosis and treatment results to the woman concerned. Finally, a data collection form is attached.     

Altered differentiation and paracrine stimulation of mammary epithelial cell proliferation by conditionally activated Smoothened

The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling network is critical for patterning and organogenesis in mammals, and has been implicated in a variety of cancers. Smoothened (Smo), the gene encoding the principal signal transducer, is overexpressed frequently in breast cancer, and constitutive activation in MMTV-SmoM2 transgenic mice caused alterations in mammary gland morphology, increased proliferation, and changes in stem/progenitor cell number. Both in transgenic mice and in clinical specimens, proliferative cells did not usually express detectable Smo, suggesting the hypothesis that Smo functioned in a non-cell autonomous manner to stimulate proliferation. Here, we employed a genetically tagged mouse model carrying a Cre-recombinase-dependent conditional allele of constitutively active Smo (SmoM2) to test this hypothesis. MMTV-Cre- or adenoviral-Cre-mediated SmoM2 expression in the luminal epithelium, but not in the myoepithelium, was required for the hyper-proliferative phenotypes. High levels of proliferation were observed in cells adjacent or in close-proximity to Smo expressing cells demonstrating that SmoM2 expressing cells were stimulating proliferation via a paracrine or juxtacrine mechanism. In contrast, Smo expression altered luminal cell differentiation in a cell-autonomous manner. SmoM2 expressing cells, purified by fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) via the genetic fluorescent tag, expressed high levels of Ptch2, Gli1, Gli2, Jag2 and Dll-1, and lower levels of Notch4 and Hes6, in comparison to wildtype cells. These studies provide insight into the mechanism of Smo activation in the mammary gland and its possible roles in breast tumorigenesis. In addition, these results also have potential implications for the interpretation of proliferative phenotypes commonly observed in other organs as a consequence of hedgehog signaling activation.     

阴道镜及宫颈活组织检查对早期宫颈上皮内瘤变诊断价值分析

目的:探究阴道镜及宫颈活组织检查对早期宫颈上皮内瘤变(cervicalintraepithelialneoplasia,CIN)的诊断价值。方法:选择2015年3月至2018年5月于我院接受诊治的543例疑似宫颈上皮瘤变患者,分别对其实施阴道镜及宫颈活组织检查,以病理学检测结果为金标准,分别评估两种方式单独检测及联合检测对早期CIN的诊断一致性、灵敏度和特异度,并进行组间对比。结果:(1)543例疑似CIN患者病理诊断早期CIN阳性患者168例,阴性患者375例,诊断率为30.94%;阴道镜对早期CIN诊断发现阳性患者有143例,良性患者有400例,诊断率为26.34%;宫颈活组织检测对早期CIN诊断发现阳性患者有159例,良性患者有384例,诊断率为29.28%;阴道镜联合颈活组织检测对早期CIN诊断发现阳性患者有163例,良性患者有380例,诊断率为30.02%。(2)检测发现,阴道镜对早期CIN诊断一致性为81.77%,灵敏度为60.12%,特异度为91.47%。(3)宫颈活组织对早期CIN诊断一致性为91.71%,灵敏度为83.33%,特异度为95.47%。(4)阴道镜联合宫颈活组织对早期CIN诊断一致性为96.50%,灵敏度为92.86%,特异度为98.13%。(5)联合检测对早期CIN诊断的一致性、灵敏度和特异度均明显优于阴道镜及宫颈活组织单独检测。结论:阴道镜及宫颈活组织检测对早期CIN具有较好的诊断效果,但联合检测诊断准确率更高,适用于早期CIN临床筛查中。     

P21蛋白在不同级别宫颈组织中的表达及其与高危HPV感染相关性的研究

目的通过检测宫颈组织中p21waf基因表达与高危HPV感染的情况,研究P21蛋白与高危HPV感染在宫颈组织恶性转化过程中的作用及其相互关系。方法应用免疫组化检测P21蛋白及基因杂交捕获Ⅱ代技术(HC-Ⅱ)检测高危HPV在正常宫颈组、宫颈炎、宫颈上皮内瘤样病变(CIN)及宫颈癌组这4组中的表达情况。结果在正常宫颈组、宫颈炎、宫颈上皮内瘤样病变(CIN)、及宫颈癌组中P21的阳性表达率分别为11.8%、15.4%、39.1%和57.7%;高危HPV的阳性表达率分别为20%、23.5%、65.2%和88.5%,这两项指标在CIN、宫颈癌组有明显的升高趋势且与正常宫颈和宫颈炎两组相比差异具有显著性统计学意义(P<0.05);各级别宫颈组织中高危HPV阳性组的P21蛋白阳性率明显高于阴性组的P21蛋白阳性率。差异在统计学上具有显著性意义(P<0.05)。结论P21蛋白的表达和高危HPV感染与宫颈病变的恶化均有高度的相关性,其检出率和阳性表达率随着宫颈病变恶性程度的增加而升高。在CIN向宫颈癌恶性转化过程中,P21与高危HPV共同促进肿瘤的发生。