The association of p16INK4A and fragile histidine triad gene expression and cervical lesions

Abstract

Objective. This cross-sectional study was intended to assess the association between immunohistochemical analysis of p16INK4A and fragile histidine triad (FHIT) and the presence of precancerous cervical lesions. Materials and Methods. Women seen at Pe´ rola Byington Hospital, São Paulo, Brazil, with histologically confirmed cervicitis (n = 31), cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 1 (n = 30), CIN 2,3 (n = 30), and cervical cancer (n = 7) had also cervical material collected for liquid-based cytology, human papillomavirus Hybrid Capture 2 (HC2) test, and p16 and FHIT immunohistochemical reactions. Results. p16 and FHIT reactions were scored as the following: G1%, 1% to 5%, 95% to 25%, and 925%. Receiver operating curve analysis was used to select p16 and FHIT score cutoffs for further categorical analyses. All but one of the 37 CIN 2,3/cancer cases had a p16 score of greater than 1% to 5%. Among the 61 cervicitis/CIN 1 cases, 46 (75%) had a p16 score lower than 1% to 5%. In contrast, no association of FHIT expression and severity of cervical lesions could be demonstrated in this data set. Receiver operating curve analyses suggested the score of 1% to 5% for p16 as the cutoff that best discriminates CIN 2,3/cancer from cervicitis/CIN 1. No cutoff for FHIT scores could be suggested with data set. Conclusions. p16, but not FHIT expression, has the potential to be used as complementary diagnostic tool to investigate human papillomavirusYinduced cervical lesions, if these results are confirmed in larger studies.