title: Detection of HPV positivity by immunohistochemistry in colposcopic cervical biopsies with a cytological diagnosis of ASCUS.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Many epidemiological studies have shown that human papillomavirus related infections play a major role in cervical preinvasive and invasive lesions. ASCUS (atypical cells of undetermined significance) observed in about 4-5% of all cervical cytology specimens. We searched for the presence of HPV with immunohistochemical methods in the biopsy material of patients diagnosed with ASCUS using cytology.
  
  
  METHODS
  The colposcopic biopsy or Loop Electro Excisional Procedure (LEEP) material of 115 patients with a diagnosis of ASCUS were evaluated. HPV (type 6,11,16,18,31,33,42,51,52,56 and 58) immunohistochemistry was applied to all materials. The relationship between the biopsy results and HPV positivity was investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) I was found in 34.8%, CIN II in 13% and CIN III in 9.6% of the patients and cervicitis was present in 42.6% of the patients. HPV immunohistochemistry was positive in 11 cases (9.6%) and no staining was seen in 104 cases (90.4%). No positive staining was seen in the chronic cervicitis cases. The rate of positive staining was 15% (6/34) in the CIN I diagnosed group, 20% (3/12) in the CIN II diagnosed group and 18.2% (2/9) in the CIN III diagnosed group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HPV positivity was found to be lower compared to the literature both in total and in cases diagnosed by biopsy. No staining occurred in any patient with cervicitis. In conclusion, we believe that immunohistochemical examination is not an appropriate method for the determination of HPV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Başkent University, Faculty of Medicine, İSTANBUL, TURKEY.
authors.forename: Güldeniz Aksan
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Destelı
authors.forename: Ebru
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Demıralay
authors.forename: Türkan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gürsu
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ayhan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D065309:Atypical Squamous Cells of the Cervix; D001706:Biopsy; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000821:virology*; D003127:Colposcopy; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000821:virology*; D002575:Uterine Cervicitis / Q000821:virology; D055815:Young Adult; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral