title: Immunocytochemical detection of raf kinase inhibitor protein and human papillomavirus profiling of normal and abnormal cervical ThinPrep samples.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigates the potential value of Raf kinase inhibitor protein (RKIP) as a marker of normal squamous cells in ThinPrep slides. RKIP was evaluated for its ability to distinguish between normal and abnormal cervical samples in the context of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 316 ThinPrep samples were taken from women with normal and abnormal cervices. ThinPrep slides were Papanicolaou stained and reported. Residual samples were used for RKIP immunostaining and HPV PCR-based sequencing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  RKIP expression was seen in both nuclei and cytoplasm in 83.7% of samples. RKIP expression was highest (84.6%) in samples with a diagnosis of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) or worse; expression was lower in low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (73%) and was lowest in samples with normal cytology (p = 0.0023). A total of 74% of HPV-infected ThinPrep samples were immunopositive, and 67% of samples that did not harbor HPV were also immunopositive (p = 0.414). Sensitivity and specificity of RKIP were 84.6 and 34.6%, respectively, for the detection of samples with HSIL or worse.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that RKIP expression may be of some value as a marker for abnormal cervical cells. Combined RKIP expression and HPV testing could improve the identification of samples with abnormal cytology.
authors: Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Kuwait University, Kuwait City, Kuwait. r.al-awadhi@hsc.edu.kw
authors: Rana
authors: R
authors: Al-Awadhi
authors: Sawsan
authors: S
authors: Husain
authors: Wassim
authors: W
authors: Chehadeh
authors: Waleed
authors: W
authors: Al-Jassar
authors: Kusum
authors: K
authors: Kapila
authors: Fahd
authors: F
authors: Al-Mulla
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000737:chemistry / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015344:DNA Probes, HPV; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D061809:Human Papillomavirus DNA Tests / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D049488:Phosphatidylethanolamine Binding Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D055815:Young Adult; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000737:chemistry / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015344:DNA Probes, HPV; D004279:DNA, Viral; C511482:PEBP1 protein, human; D049488:Phosphatidylethanolamine Binding Protein