DESCRIPTION

Context: CytoPath®Easy kit (DiaPath S.p.A.) offers a major advantage compared to other commercially available kits available for the screening of cervical cancer, as it does not require additional equipment for sample processing. Using this methodology, collected epithelial cells are immersed in a preservative liquid before setting as a thin layer on a slide via gravity sedimentation.

Aims: To evaluate the suitability of the CytoPath®Easy kit for the processing of cervical samples, detection of pre-neoplastic lesions, and nucleic preservation and extraction for HR-HPV diagnosis.

Materials and methods: A total of 242 self-sampled cervical specimens were utilized, with 192 collected in CytoPath®Easy vials and 50 collected and processed using the ThinPrep^TM for comparative analysis. The samples underwent processing, Papanicolaou staining, and microscopic evaluation for morphological parameters. The extracted nucleic acids were assessed for purity and integrity, and the detection of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) was carried out using the Alinity^m HR HPV system kit (Abbott Laboratórios Lda).

Results: Both methods demonstrated effective performance, enabling the morphological assessment of the cervical epithelium. Statistical analysis indicated that ThinPrep^TM yielded significantly better results in terms of cellularity. Conversely, CytoPath®Easy exhibited superior performance in terms of the quantity of extracted DNA and its degree of purification. Concerning the time consumed during processing, both methods were comparable, with the CytoPath®Easy methodology standing out for its cost-effectiveness, as it does not necessitate additional instruments and consumables.

Conclusions: The novel CytoPath®Easy methodology proves effective in preserving both nucleic acids and cell morphology characteristics, two crucial features for cervical cancer screening.

Keywords: Cervical cytology; HR-HPV; nucleic acids; pre-neoplastic lesions.

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