Clinical Results of the Liquid-based Cervical Cytology Tool, Liqui-PREPTM, in Comparison with Conventional Smears for Detection of Squamous Cell Abnormalities

Objective: To compare the adequacy and efficacy of the liquid-based cytology tool Liqui-PREPTM (LP) withthe conventional Papanicolaou smear (CS) test, for the screening of squamous cell abnormalities.
Methods:Data for 2,000 subjects screened with CS and 4,000 different subjects screened with the LP test were compared.
Results: LP showed significant decrease in the rate of unsatisfactory smears (P<0.01) and the detection rate foratypical squamous cells was significantly higher (P<0.01). The rate of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesionwas also higher, but this did not reach statistical significance. The number of high-grade squamous intraepitheliallesions detected was increased with LP, and the histological correlation of LSIL lesions showed a higher positivepredictivevalue. The coexistence of abnormal colposcopic findings with abnormal smear results was higher forLP (P<0.004). Furthermore, high-risk HPV-DNA detection was found to be increased in atypical LP smearsthan in normal LP smears.
Conclusions: The liquid-based cytology tool LP detected more squamous cell lesionsthan CS. Also it reduced the number of unsatisfactory results due to enhanced cell visualization, and improvedscreening for HPV-DNA.