The need for accurate genotyping of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections is becoming increasingly important, since (i) the oncogenic potential among the high-risk HPV genotypes varies in the pathogenesis of cervical cancer, (ii) monitoring multivalent HPV vaccines is essential to investigate the efficiency of the vaccines, and (iii) genotyping is crucial in epidemiologic studies evaluating HPV infections worldwide. Various genotyping assays have been developed to meet this demand. Comparison of different studies that use various HPV genotyping tests is possible only after a performance assessment of the different assays. In the present study, the SPF 10 LiPA version 1 and the recently launched Roche Linear Array HPV genotyping assays are compared. A total of 573 liquid-based cytology samples were tested for the presence of HPV by a DNA enzyme immunoassay; 210 were found to be positive for HPV DNA and were evaluated using both genotyping assays (163 with normal cytology, 22 with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance, 20 with mild/ moderate dysplasia, and 5 with severe dysplasia). Comparison analysis was limited to the HPV genotype probes common to both assays. Of the 160 samples used for comparison analysis, 129 (80.6%) showed absolute agreement between the assays (concordant), 18 (11.2%) showed correspondence for some but not all genotypes detected on both strips (compatible), and the remaining 13 (8.2%) samples did not show any similarity between the tests (discordant). The overall intertest comparison agreement for all individually detectable genotypes was considered very good ( value, 0.79). The genotyping assays were therefore highly comparable and reproducible.Molecular and epidemiologic studies have shown that a persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most important risk factor for both cervical cancer and its precursors (9,11,29,33). Approximately 40 different HPV types can infect the mucosa of the anogenital tract. Based on their carcinogenicities, these anogenital HPV types have been subdivided into low-risk HPV (lr-HPV) types, probable highrisk HPV (hr-HPV) types, and hr-HPV types (27), although some controversy remains regarding the probable high-risk genotypes (30). Almost all squamous cell cervical cancers worldwide harbor hr-HPV types (36). Moreover, high-risk HPV DNA can be detected in 74% of the premalignant lowgrade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) lesions and approximately 84% of the high-grade CIN lesions (25). Consequently, the efficacy of population-based screening programs solely using cervical cytology could benefit from adding hr-HPV testing (32). Accordingly, many ongoing international research projects assess the feasibility of introducing hr-HPV tests in available routine screening.For these screening purposes, several tests have been developed in order to distinguish high-risk HPV infections from no HPV infection. Among these are the signal amplification method Hybrid Capture II (hc2) (Digene Corp., Gaithersburg, Maryland) and the ...

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In women with hereditary non polyposis colorectal carcinoma (HNPCC) an annual gynaecological surveillance has been recommended because of an increased lifetime risk of developing endometrial and ovarian carcinoma. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of gynaecological surveillance with regard to endometrial and ovarian carcinoma. Included were women from families that fulfilled the revised Amsterdam criteria for HNPCC or who showed a proven mutation in one of the mismatch repair genes. An annual gynaecological surveillance was performed (transvaginal ultrasound (TVU) and CA 125 assessment). From January 2006 on, routine endometrial sampling was included. In a total number of 100 women 285 surveillance visits were performed. Among these, in 64 visits routine endometrial samplings were performed: three atypical hyperplasias and one endometrial carcinoma were diagnosed. This was significantly more than the atypical hyperplasia and two endometrial carcinomas that were detected after 28 samples performed because of abnormal surveillance results in 221 visits. There were no interval carcinomas. One invasive ovarian carcinoma stage IIIC was diagnosed at ovarian surveillance. Endometrial surveillance with routine endometrial sampling in women with HNPCC is more efficient in diagnosing endometrial (pre)malignancies than TVU only. Ovarian surveillance is not capable of diagnosing early stage ovarian carcinoma. Prophylactic hysterectomy in HNPCC should be restricted to women in whom abdominal surgery for other reasons is performed and to those with particularly increased risk such as MSH6 mutation carriers and/or women with multiple relatives with endometrial carcinoma.

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