Studies Confirm Utility of Automated HPV Probes

Two recent studies have confirmed the clinical utility of human papillomavirus (HPV) High Risk and Low Risk probes, which are automated in situ hybridization (ISH), or slide-based, applications for DNA detection of HPV. Both studies were presented at the 19th International Papillomavirus Conference in Florianopolis, Brazil, in September.

A study that focused on the use of molecular methods--rather than Pap testing and colposcopy--for the follow-up of ASCUS (atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance) Pap smear results provided data that supported use of the probes. The study suggested that the probes could be used to identify patients at risk of malignant progression of HPV. ISH allows the direct correlation of the virus to the original Pap test, which is important in eliminating false-positives. A second study that correlated cervical cytology with HPV detection and clinical outcome also supported the utility of the tests for predicting which women with ASCUS are at high risk and which are at low risk.

Called Inform HPV ASR, the system was developed by Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. (Tucson, AZ, USA) and is available on Ventana's fully automated BenchMark system. "The studies reveal the strong positive predictive value of our slide-based molecular method and thus the important role these methods will play in HPV testing,” explained Dr. Thomas Grogan, chief scientific officer of Ventana.




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